Man jailed for 12 years after bus fare dispute ended in attempted murder

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a September Criminal Court decision sentencing a man to 12 years in prison after convicting him of attempted murder over a bus fare dispute in the Jordan Valley in March 2019.

The Criminal Court handed the defendant the maximum penalty after convicting him of stabbing a 19-year-old victim in Northern Shouneh following the dispute on March 6.

The court decided to maintain the maximum punishment because the defendant was convicted of sexual molestation in recent years and "he is considered a repeat offender", according to court papers.

The defendant waved down a public transportation bus that was driven by the victim's sibling, court documents said.

When the defendant reached his house, the court maintained, he descended from the vehicle and informed the victim and his brother to wait for him while he fetched the fare.

The defendant returned from his house "carrying a switch blade and immediately stabbed the victim in the stomach", the court maintained.

The victim was transported to a nearby hospital by his brother, where he underwent several surgeries. He survived the incident, according to court transcripts.

Meanwhile, police arrested the defendant and found a switchblade on him, court papers said.

"The weapon was sent to the criminal lab for analysis and the technicians there determined that the blood found on the switchblade belonged to the victim,"  according to court documents.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general had asked the higher court to uphold the sentence against the defendant, stating that the court had abided by the proper legal procedures when sentencing the defendant.

The defendant did not contest the Criminal Court's ruling.

The Cassation Court ruled that the Criminal Court’s judgement fell within the law, that the proceedings were proper and that the sentence given was satisfactory.

The Cassation Court tribunal comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Nayef Samarat, Bassem Mubeidin, Naji Zubi and Hamad Ghzawi.