AMMAN — The Criminal Court prosecutor on Wednesday charged a 45-year-old man with premeditated murder in connection with the alleged shooting death of his estranged wife in front of her house in Zarqa, official sources said.

 

The suspect was also charged with the attempted premeditated murder of his 19-year-old daughter, a senior judicial source said.

 

The 39-year-old woman, accompanied by her daughter, were reportedly shot by the suspect as they attempted to enter their rented home, the judicial source told The Jordan Times.

 

The suspect then left the scene in his vehicle, “went home then went to the nearest police station and turned himself in and the weapon used in the shooting”, the source added.

 

In his initial testimony to Criminal Court Prosecutor Ammar Huneifat, the defendant claimed that he “shot his wife because of marital problems”.

 

“The suspect claimed that his wife left him on several occasions and was living on her own, and he did not accept that, so he decided to kill her,” the judicial source said quoting initial testimony of the suspect.

 

The suspect claimed that “his wife was the sole target and that his daughter was hit by mistake”, according to the judicial source.

 

The daughter was listed in good condition although she was hit in the stomach, a senior medical source said.

 

A post-mortem is expected to be conducted by a team of pathologists in Zarqa, 22km northeast of Amman, headed by Rajae Shouha and including Mohammad Ertimat and Mohammad Momani on Thursday, the medical source said.

 

Preliminary examination of the body indicated that the victim received two bullets to her chest and stomach, the medical source added.

 

Huneifat ordered that the suspect be detained at a correctional and rehabilitation centre for 15 days pending further investigation, the judicial source added.