Man gets 12-year jail term for attempted murder of minor

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a February Criminal Court ruling sentencing a 51-year-old mechanic to 12 years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder a minor in Amman in October 2017.

The court declared the defendant guilty of attempting to murder the 17-year-old victim by stabbing him in the waist while in his vehicle on October 27.

The court first sentenced the defendant to 10 years in prison but decided to add two years because he had a criminal record.

Court documents said the defendant and the victim went to a restaurant in down town Amman for dinner.

When they finished, according to court documents, the defendant asked the victim to drive his vehicle.

“On the way the defendant, and for unknown reasons, drew a switchblade and stabbed the victim in the waist,” court documents said.

The victim jumped from the car and sought help from people in the area, the court transcripts said.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general had asked the higher court to uphold the ruling against the defendant.

The defendant had pleaded guilty to the charges and claimed to be intoxicated at the time of stabbing.

 The higher court ruled that the Criminal Court proceedings were accurate and correct and that the defendant was given the appropriate punishment.

The Cassation Court bench comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Yassin Abdullat, Majid Azab, Nayef Samarat and Naji Zu’bi.