20-year-jail term for man who murdered ex-cellmate

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a May Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to 20 years in prison after convicting him of murdering a former cellmate in April 2016.

The court declared the defendant guilty of shooting a man he met while in prison on April 2 and handed him the maximum punishment.

The Criminal Court also decided to amend the premeditated murder charges to manslaughter after establishing that the defendant “did not plot the murder and it was an instantaneous event”.

Court papers said the defendant and the victim knew each other from the time they were serving time at a correctional and rehabilitation centre, and decided to become illegal drug dealers when they left the facility.

When the defendants were released, the court maintained, they met and started planning their new illegal business. 

“Each defendant pitched in JD15,000 to buy the illegal substance and then asked a friend to help them sell it in return for JD25,000,” court papers said.

On the day of the murder, the court said, the defendant and the victim decided to travel to a remote governorate to check on the man they entrusted with selling the illegal drugs.

On the way, the court maintained, the two had a heated argument and the “defendant ended up shooting the victim in the forehead”.

“The defendant fled the area but was arrested by police the following day and he ushered the authorities to where he had disposed of the weapon used in the crime,” according to court transcripts.

The defendant contested the Criminal Court’s ruling charging that the court “did not examine the evidence properly”.

However, the higher court ruled that the Criminal Court followed the proper procedures and the defendant deserved the verdict he received.

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zubi, Yassin Abdullat, Bassim Mubeidin and Majid Azab.