by Daily star.com.lb

BEIRUT: A General Security officer was sentenced to life in prison with hard labor on Wednesday for the murder of his neighbors in the Mt. Lebanon town of Ashkout. Although the murder was the result of a long-running dispute between General Security Sgt. Maj. Tony Abboud and his neighbors, Judge Rami Abdallah ruled that Oct. 13, 2016 killings were not premeditated. Abboud had consistently clashed with his neighbors over a number of issues, including parking spots and bill payments.

The Houballahs kept a number of dogs in the neighborhood, which bothered Abboud and his family. One of the dogs allegedly bit Abboud’s daughter in the week prior to the murder. In addition to Abboud’s fear for his children, he claimed the Houballahs threw trash on his car and house, and sprayed toxic substances inside his workshop. Abboud claimed to have filed formal complaints and police reports regarding his conflict with the Houballahs. The tension exploded into an altercation, during which Abboud shot Jean-Paul Houballah, 37; Jean-Joseph Houballah, 70; and his wife, Isabel Chidiac, 66 with his state-issued handgun. Abboud shot Antoine Chidiac after he overheard the commotion and went to investigate. He fled the scene but later turned himself in to the authorities. In his mid-40s, Abboud has been with General Security for at least 25 years.