Man charged with attempted murder after allegedly shooting estranged wife at courthouse

AMMAN — The Criminal Court prosecutor on Sunday charged a 54-year-old man with the attempted premeditated murder of his ex-wife at a Sharia court in Amman last week, official sources said.

The 40-year-old woman suffered a single bullet wound to her neck, reportedly from her ex-husband, on Thursday while at the Sharia court to demand alimony for her and her nine children, a senior judicial source said.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital and remains in critical condition, the senior judicial source told The Jordan Times.

The suspect turned himself in to police shortly after the incident, the judicial source added.

In his initial testimony to police and Criminal Court Prosecutor Ihsan Salamat, the suspect claimed that “he was at the Sharia court by coincidence and saw his estranged wife”, the senior judicial source said.

“The suspect dragged his ex-wife outside the courtroom, pulled a gun and shot her once in the neck,” the senior judicial source added.

Prosecutor Salamat ordered that the suspect be detained at a correctional and rehabilitation centre for 15 days pending further investigations, a second source told The Jordan Times.

“The Criminal Prosecution Office is also expected to hear the testimonies of other witnesses in the case and the victim once she recovers from her injuries,” the second source added.