Prison term upheld for attempted murder over JD30 debt

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a June Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to five years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder his friend over a JD30 debt in an Amman suburb in October 2015.

The Criminal Court had found the man guilty of attempting to murder a man, who was a close friend, with a wooden stick on October 5, sentencing him to 10 years in prison.

But the tribunal immediately reduced the sentence by half because the victim dropped the charges against the man, according to the verdict.

Court papers said that the victim borrowed money from the defendant and was unable to pay him back because he was going through financial difficulties.

On the day of the incident, the court added, the defendant called the victim demanding his money, but the “victim asked for more time, which angered the defendant and he started cursing him”.

As a result, the court added, the victim managed to secure the amount and went to the man’s house to return the money and an argument ensued.

“The defendant grabbed a wooden stick and struck the victim on the head, causing a brain haemorrhage that required immediate surgery and which was life threatening at one point,” the court said.