Man gets 20-year jail term for murder over dog dispute

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a March Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to 20 years in prison after convicting him of murdering a  35-year-old man over accusations of dog theft in an Amman neighbourhood in December 2014.

The court declared the defendant guilty of shooting and killing the victim following a heated argument and scuffle, and handed the defendant the maximum punishment. 

The tribunal also decided to amend the premeditated murder charges originally pressed against the defendant to manslaughter “because the court concluded that he did not plot to murder the victim”.

Court papers said that, two months before the incident, the defendant had accused the victim of stealing two of his dogs and refused to return them.

On the day of the incident, the court added: “The defendant contacted the victim’s brother and demanded his dogs back, but his brother told him that the dogs belonged to the victim.”

“The defendant became enraged and headed to the victim’s house and demanded his dogs, but the victim insisted that they were his. An argument ensued and the two scuffled,” according to court documents.

The defendant then “drew his gun and fired two rounds at the victim, one striking him below his waist and the second hitting his thigh”, the court added. 

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died the following day as a result of the gunshot wounds he sustained, according to the seven-page court document.

The defendant fled but was later arrested, and a weapon was found in his possession, the court maintained.

“A ballistic match of the weapon found with the defendant confirmed that the bullet that killed the victim came from his weapon,” the court stated.

The defendant had contested the Criminal Court’s ruling asking for a lesser punishment since he “did not intend to kill the victim”.

“The defendant claimed that he went to discuss the matter with the victim and that there was a scuffle and a bullet was accidentally discharged from his weapon,” the court papers said.

However, the Criminal Court’s general attorney appealed the verdict and asked the higher court to consider the premeditated element in the case, since the defendant had threatened the victim on several occasions and eventually killed him.

The higher court stated late last month that the Criminal Court’s general attorney did not provide any evidence to corroborate his claims that the murder was committed in a premeditated fashion.

The higher court ruled that the Criminal Court’s proceedings were accurate and correct and the defendant received the appropriate punishment.

The Cassation Court comprised judges Hisham Tel, Basil Abu Anzeh, Naji Zubi, Mohammad Ibrahim, and Mohammad Tarawneh.