Man gets reduced sentence for attempted murder of dog owner

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a July Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to a reduced sentence after convicting him of attempting to murder a dog owner in Amman in August of this year.

The Criminal Court declared the defendant guilty of attempting to murder a man who let his dog attack and bite him following “a heated dispute” in Amman on August 13.

However, the court decided to amend the attempted manslaughter charges levelled against the defendant to a misdemeanour “because the defendant committed the crime in a moment of rage”.

Court papers said the defendant and the victim engaged in “a heated argument” while in the street.

"The victim let his dog attack the defendant and he ended up biting him in front of onlookers," the court documents said.

The victim left the area, the court maintained, but the defendant followed him, drew a switchblade and stabbed him in the chest.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital and survived the stabbing incident after undergoing few surgeries, the court papers added.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to reverse the Criminal Court's decision to amend the charges against the defendant, which gave him a lesser sentence.

The higher court ruled that the Criminal Court proceedings were accurate since the victim’s actions of pushing his dog to bite the defendant in front of people caused him to lose control of his behaviour and pushed him to commit the act in a moment of rage,” the higher court ruled.

Therefore, the higher court maintained, and the defendant was given the appropriate punishment.

The Cassation Court bench comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Nayef Samarat, Hammad Ghzawi, Qassem Dughmi, and Mohammad Khashashneh.