Court refers man accused of decapitating his mother for psychological evaluation

AMMAN — The Criminal Court on Sunday decided to refer a 28-year-old man, who is standing trial for allegedly murdering and decapitating his mother in the capital’s Tabarbour area last November, for psychiatric evaluation. 

The tribunal made its decision based on his attorney’s request following the defendant’s behavior in the court and after hearing the testimonies of two of his brothers.

The defendant climbed the bars of the cell he was being held at in the court room, and was making strange noises and uttering words that could not be understood.

During the 90-minute court hearing, two of the defendant’s siblings testified in court that “the defendant is a drug addict and would often behave in a strange way”.

The two witnesses told the court that their mother, the victim, “took the defendant to a sheikh to check if he was possessed by a demon”.

On another occasion, the witnesses told the court, the defendant was sent by his family to a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts “where he spent 21 days”.

A final attempt was made by the victim and the witnesses to take the defendant to the National Institute of Psychiatric Medicine (NIPM) “but the attending physicians there refused to receive him, saying there was no need”, the two siblings told the court.

However, the tribunal decided on Sunday to send the defendant to the NIPM for a two-month evaluation by a team of government physicians to determine if he is fit for trial, and if he is aware of his actions.

The prosecution alleges that on November 3, the suspect, who allegedly considered his mother “his enemy and that she ruined his life, cut off her head when she returned home from a visit”.

“The suspect bought an axe a few days before the incident and took it to a butcher to sharpen it, telling the owner that his mother wanted the axe to cut meat,” the charge sheet said.

After murdering his mother, the prosecution maintained, “he took out her eyeballs and fled”, the charge sheet added. 

The defendant, who has a criminal record, was reportedly wanted in connection with a number of drug-related cases and was believed to have been using synthetic cannabis (locally known as “joker”).

If convicted of premeditated murder, the suspect could face the death penalty.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the murder charges, but pleaded guilty to possessing a sharp weapon in a previous court session.

The court adjourned the session until March 14 to hear more prosecution witnesses in the case.