Man arrested for allegedly shooting wife to death

AMMAN — The Criminal Court prosecutor on Monday charged a 47-year-old truck driver with premeditated murder in connection with the reported shooting death of his wife in Amman on Sunday, official sources said.

The 39-year-old victim, a private company employee, was allegedly shot and killed by her husband while in her car in the Istiklal neighbourhood, according to a statement by the Public Security Department (PSD).

“Police received information that a man shot and killed his wife and the PSD immediately formed a team to locate the husband's whereabouts,” the PSD statement stated.

The team was able to locate the husband and referred him to the Criminal Court’s prosecution office for further questioning and indictment, the PSD statement added.

In his initial testimony to the Criminal Court’s prosecutor, the suspect claimed that “he shot his wife, a mother of three children, because of constant marital problems,” a senior judicial source, who is close to the investigations, said.

The suspect reportedly told investigators that the couple was separated and that “he spotted her riding her vehicle by coincidence in the street near her home at around 6:45am,” the senior judicial source told The Jordan Times.

The suspect claimed that he followed his wife with his own vehicle and intercepted her car “forcing her to stop,” according to the senior official source.

“The suspect approached the victim’s car and claimed that his wife uttered provocative statements and that he drew his unlicensed gun and shot her several times while she was sitting in her vehicle,” the senior judicial source said.

However, the senior judicial source was quick to add that “investigators did not buy his story and it is clear to investigators that the premeditation element exists in this shooting incident”.

The suspect was ordered detained by the Criminal Court’s prosecutor at a correctional and rehabilitation centre for 15 days pending further investigations into the incident, the senior judicial source said.

“We plan to summon the couple’s family members and relatives to learn more about the couple’s marital problem’s history,” the senior judicial source added.