Man sentenced to 12 years for attempted murder

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a January Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to 12 years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder his relative in Amman in October 2021.

The Criminal Court declared the defendant guilty of attempting to murder the victim with a pistol on October 8.

The defendant was handed a 20-year prison term for the attempted murder charges.

However, the court decided to reduce the prison term to 12 years because the victim dropped charges against the defendant.

Court papers said the victim was riding in his father’s vehicle one day before the incident and drove near the defendant.

Because of an old rivalry, the court maintained, the defendant pulled over the victim, forced him out of his vehicle and asked him to stay out of his area.

The following day, the court added, the victim drove his vehicle again in the defendant’s area of residence.

“The defendant pulled a gun and fired several rounds at the victim’s vehicle striking him in the chest,” court papers said.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition and survived the shooting incident after undergoing several surgeries, the court added.  

The defendant contested his ruling via his lawyer arguing that “the court relied on weak evidence”.

The defence also argued that the court relied on contradictory statements by some witnesses.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the 12-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 Mahmoud Ebtoush, Nayef Samarat, Hammad Ghzawi, Mohammad Khashashneh and Mohammad Shreiri.