Man sentenced to 8 years in prison for attempted murder

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a July Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to eight years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder a man in Zarqa in October 2019. 

The Criminal Court declared the defendant guilty of stabbing the victim in the stomach with a switchblade on October 7 following “a heated argument” and handed him a 12-year prison term. 

However, the court decided to reduce the sentence to eight years because the victim dropped charges.

Court papers said the defendant was hanging out with the victim near their home and “they consumed alcohol”.

“The argument turned into a scuffle and the defendant grabbed a switchblade and stabbed the victim once in the stomach,” court papers said.

The victim survived the assault after undergoing surgery to his stomach 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 arguing that the “prosecution failed to provide solid evidence to convict him with the charges”.

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 Cassation Court bench comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Majid Azab, Fawzi Nahar, Hayel Amr and Ibrahim Abu Shamma.