Man handed 8-year prison term for attempted murder

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a June Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to eight years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder a man in Madaba in August 2019. 

The Criminal Court declared the defendant guilty of stabbing the victim in the kidney on August 8 in the street following “a heated argument” and handed him a 12-year prison term. 

However, the court decided to reduce the prison term to eight years because the victim dropped charges against the defendant. 

The victim survived the stabbing incident after undergoing surgery at a nearby hospital, the court papers added. 

The defendant contested the Criminal Court’s ruling arguing that the “prosecution failed to provide solid evidence to convict him with the charges”. 

“My client stabbed the victim in self-defence and should not receive a high prison term as a result,” the lawyer argued.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the ruling. 

The higher court ruled that the Criminal Court proceedings were accurate and the defendant was given the appropriate punishment. 

“The defendant confessed willingly to the incident and failed to provide evidence that he had committed the assault in self-defence,” the higher court ruled.

The Cassation Court bench comprises judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Bassim Mubeidin, Hammad Ghzawi, Yassin Abdullat and Mohammad Khashashneh.