Man sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempted murder

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a June Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to 10 years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder a man in Amman in March 2019. 

The Criminal Court declared the defendant guilty of shooting the victim several times on March 5 following “a heated argument”. 

The court handed the defendant a 15-year prison term. However, the court decided to reduce the sentence to 10 years because the victim dropped charges.

Court papers said the defendant engaged in "a heated argument" when the victim got into his vehicle to leave.

“The defendant grabbed a machinegun and fired several rounds towards the vehicle striking the victim in the arm, legs and chest,” court papers added.

The defendant was rushed to a nearby hospital where attending physicians determined that his injuries were non-life threatening, the court added.

The criminal lab technician collected 17 empty shells from the shooting scene, the court maintained.

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

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 that the defendant was given the appropriate punishment. 

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