Jordanian man sentenced to 20 years for killing his wife in front of their children

The Grand Criminal Court has sentenced a man to 20 years of temporary hard labor after finding him guilty of intentionally killing his wife by shooting her three times in front of their children.

The verdict, announced during a public hearing, convicted the defendant - who remains in custody - of premeditated murder. The court’s decision outlined the circumstances leading up to and following the crime, based on the evidence and testimonies presented during the trial.

Background: history of abuse and legal action

According to the court’s ruling, the victim was the defendant’s wife, and the couple had been experiencing severe marital disputes. The decision attributed the disputes to the husband’s “physical abuse and mistreatment.”

As a result, the victim left the marital home and took several legal steps before her death. She filed an official complaint against her husband at the Family Protection Department for “assault,” and initiated several cases in the Sharia court, including “discord and strife,” “alimony,” and “child custody.”

Planning and execution

The court found that the defendant tried to convince his wife to return home, but she refused. The ruling stated that her refusal “angered him deeply,” leading him to develop “hatred and a firm intention to kill her.”

In preparation, the defendant obtained his licensed 9mm Glock pistol, carried it on his side, and went to the house where his wife was living with their children after leaving him.

The murder

According to the court’s findings, the defendant knocked on the door and, once it was opened, entered directly into the courtyard. Without warning, he began hitting his wife with both hands, pushing her toward the wall, and striking her head against it.

He then threw her to the ground and, as she tried to crawl away, drew his gun and fired three shots at her head in front of their children, showing “no mercy for her weakness,” as the verdict stated.

Aftermath

The defendant left his wife bleeding on the ground, walked out calmly with the gun in his hand, and left the scene. He then traveled to another governorate, where he met his brother and handed him the weapon used in the crime.

Neighbors, alarmed by the children’s screams, rushed to the scene and took the victim to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Forensic findings

The forensic report showed that the victim sustained two gunshot wounds to the head and face and a third to her left arm. The cause of death was determined to be “destruction of brain tissue due to penetrating gunshot wounds.”