Man handed 8-year prison term for attempted murder

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

The Criminal Court declared the defendant guilty of stabbing the victim with a switchblade on January 14 following “a heated argument” and handed him a 12-year prison term. 

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

Court papers said the defendant engaged in “a heated argument” with his brother while standing at the entrance of the building they resided in.

The victim, who happened to be in the area and is their relative, saw the two fighting and headed towards them to intervene and stop them, according to court documents.

In the meantime, the court maintained, the defendant drew a switchblade and attempted to stab his brother, “but instead stabbed the victim, who was standing between them, once in the chest”.

The victim survived the assault after undergoing surgery at a nearby hospital, the court papers added. 

However, attending physicians at the hospital determined that the injuries were life-threatening and he survived due to medical interference.

The defendant contested the Criminal Court’s ruling through his lawyer arguing that the “he had no intention of stabbing anyone and that he was just waving the knife”.

The defence also argued that the incident was a “normal fight between two brothers and, therefore, the attempted murder condition does not exist in this case”.

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 Court of Cassation judges presiding were Mohammad Ibrahim, Hayel Amr, Fawzi Nahar, Majid Azab and Nayef Samarat.