Man gets 6-month prison term for accidental shooting death of son

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a December Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to six months in prison for the accidental killing of his 20-year-old son in Irbid in May 2020.

The court declared the defendant guilty of shooting his son accidentally during an argument while at his home on May 15 and handed him a six-month prison term.

The tribunal also decided to amend the manslaughter charges originally pressed against the defendant to accidental shooting, ruling that the prosecution failed to present evidence that the defendant plotted the murder.

The defendant was originally sentenced to 12 years. But when the higher court amended the charge, the sentence was reduced to six months.

Court papers said that the victim was “a drug addict and would constantly cause trouble at home”.

“The defendant was sent to a drug rehabilitation centre by his family for treatment but it did not help,” the court paper said.

On the day of the murder, the court maintained, the defendant engaged in “a heated argument” with his sisters over the TV remote control and started cursing everyone in the house, including the defendant and his mother.

“The defendant grabbed his gun in a bid to scare his son who was causing problems at home,” court documents said. 

While attempting to raise the gun up to fire a bullet in the air to scare his son “two bullets were accidentally discharged striking and killing his son”, according to court documents.

One bullet struck the victim in the head, while the second penetrated his chest, court papers said.

The father called the police and informed them that he shot his son and they arrested him, court papers added.

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 Mohammad Ibrahim, Fawzi Nahar, Majid Azab and Saed Mugheid.