Court of Cassation upholds prison sentence for minor killed friend

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a September 2020 Amman Juvenile Court ruling sentencing a minor to eight years after convicting him of murdering his friend in October 2018.

The defendant, who was 17 at the time of the incident, was convicted by the Amman Juvenile Court of the premeditated murder on October 17.

The defendant was handed an eight-year prison term and ordered to serve the remaining of his prison term at a correctional and rehabilitation centre since he is over 18 years of age, the court ruled. 

Court documents said the defendant had an old feud with the victim and asked to meet up with him in an area in Naour to discuss the matter.

“The defendant brought a loaded gun and went to the meeting area,” court papers said.

When the two met, the court maintained, “the defendant fired several rounds at the victim following a brief conversation”.

The victim was declared dead at the scene by paramedics who rushed to the area after witnesses reported the incident, the court added. 

The Amman Juvenile Court prosecutor asked the higher court to uphold the sentence against the defendant.

The defendant contested the court’s ruling through his court lawyer, arguing that he “should benefit from a reduction in penalty due to his age”. 

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

The Court of Cassation judges were Mahmoud Ebtoush, Hammad Ghzawi, Nayef Samarat, Mohammad Khashashneh and Qassem Dughmi.