Man handed 8 years for attempted murder in Ajloun

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a February 2022 Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to eight years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder a man in Ajloun in September 2020.

The Criminal Court declared the defendant guilty of attempted murder, stemming from “a heated dispute” with the victim, in the town of Anjara on September 30. The defendant was given the maximum sentence of 12 years.

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

Court papers said the defendant was walking next to a bakery when he encountered the victim.

The two exchanged words stemming from an old feud, the court documents said.

“The victim grabbed a wooden stick and struck the defendant once in the back,” the court stated.

The defendant drew a switchblade and “stabbed the victim once in the stomach,” according to the court papers.

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

The defendant contested his ruling via his lawyer, arguing that “he stabbed the victim in self-defence”.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the eight-year sentence ruling.

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

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