Death penalty for ex-convict who stabbed sister, grandson to death

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a December Criminal Court ruling sentencing a 36-year-old ex-convict to death after convicting him of murdering his sister and her grandson in Amman in February 2017.

The court declared the defendant guilty of two counts of premeditated murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of his 60-year-old sister, a mother of five children, and her grandson while at her home in Muwaqqar on February 27.

Court papers said the defendant, named Ahmad K, had been released recently from prison and had no money.

He asked the victim repeatedly for money but she refused so he plotted to kill her, according to court documents.

On the day of the incident, the court maintained, the defendant headed to the victim’s home armed with a switchblade and asked her again for money.

When she refused, the court maintained, “he drew the weapon and stabbed her eight times and also stabbed and killed her grandson who was on her lap”.

The suspect fled the scene and was later arrested in Ruseifeh by a police team tasked with tracking him down, the court added.

The defendant had previously been convicted of murdering two people during fights in the past, for which he was sentenced to 15 years in jail in one incident and received amnesty in the other case after he reached a settlement with the victim’s family back in the 1990s, according to the court.

The Higher Court ruled that the Criminal Court followed the proper proceedings when sentencing and the defendant deserves the verdict he received.

“The defendant confessed to the murder and it was evident that he planned well for it by preparing the weapon and waiting for the right time to commit the murder,” the Court of Cassation said.

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zubi, Yassin Abdullat, Nayef Samarat and Majid Azab.