Suspect in Madaba crime ‘says he was on drugs when he shot his brother to death’

AMMAN — The Criminal Court prosecutor has charged a 36-year-old man with manslaughter in connection with the alleged shooting to death of his brother on Thursday in Madaba, a senior judicial source said.

The 51-year-old victim died at his home in Madaba, 30km southwest of Amman, from two gunshot wounds allegedly fired by his brother on Thursday morning, Public Security Department Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi said.

The suspect then fled and was later located by police in a forest area not far from where the incident occurred. He was arrested without any major incident, a senior judicial source told The Jordan Times.

In his initial statement to Criminal Court Prosecutor Issam Haddidi, the suspect claimed that “he smoked hashish, then headed to his brother’s house”, the judicial source, who is close to the investigation, said.

“The suspect asked his brother to give him JD20, but he refused, and an argument ensued,” the judicial source added.

The suspect claimed that “because he was on drugs, he imagined that his brother had pulled a gun to shoot him, so he drew a gun that was on him and shot his brother twice in the head and chest”, the judicial source maintained.

Based on the suspect’s claims, a second source told The Jordan Times, Haddidi ordered that “blood be taken from the suspect and sent to the crime lab for further analysis”.

“If the suspect’s story is true, and he was on drugs at the time of the incident, then his punishment will be higher;” the judicial source explained.

The suspect was ordered detained at a correctional and rehabilitation centre for 15 days pending further investigation and questioning of more witnesses and family relatives, the judicial source said.