Man gets two-year prison term for involuntary manslaughter

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a November 2019 Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to two years in prison for the involuntary manslaughter of a 39-year-old in Amman in June 2018.

The Criminal Court declared the defendant guilty of causing the death of the victim who was run over by a vehicle while being chased by the defendant on June 27 and handed him a two-year prison term.

The court decided also to amend the original premeditated murder charges levelled against the defendant to involuntary manslaughter because it was proven to court that the defendant did not plot to murder the victim.

Court papers said that the defendant was physically attacked by the victim with a blunt and sharp object a few days before the incident.

"The victim was not arrested by the police although the defendant filed a complaint at a police station and as a result he decided to take revenge on his own and bought an illegal gun for this purpose," the court papers said.

On the day of the incident, the court documents said, the defendant was walking with his wife on the street when he spotted the victim walking in the neighbourhood.

"The defendant drew his gun and fired two shots at the victim who immediately ran in the other direction and was struck by a passing vehicle," court papers said.

The defendant ran towards the victim who was lying injured and stabbed him twice in the buttocks then fled, court documents added.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival, the court papers added.

The defendant did not contest court the verdict.

However, the Criminal Court’s attorney general contested the verdict asking the higher court "to impose a tougher sentence since the defendant did confess that he planned to kill the victim".

But the higher court ruled that the Criminal Court proceedings were accurate and that the defendant had been given the appropriate punishment.