DNA motion for accused letter bomber adjourned
Need time to review Crown disclosure, say defence lawyers as not-guilty pleas entered for Guido Amsel
A Winnipeg man accused of sending letter bombs, including one that cost his ex-wife's lawyer her hand, has pleaded not guilty to five counts of attempted murder and several explosives-related charges.
Guido Amsel is also challenging the validity of a blood sample that was taken from him for DNA evidence at his upcoming trial.
But the court fight over the DNA warrant that helped secure Amsel's arrest has been adjourned for a week after his lawyer argued he needs more time to review evidence Crown prosecutors provided last week.
"There is information in there that we need to look at," lawyer Saheel Zaman told provincial court Judge Tracey Lord Monday morning. "In addition we need the opportunity to actually go through some of that information with our client."
Received Crown's materials Friday
Zaman said he received new evidence from the Crown as late as Friday, well outside the seven-day notice required under provincial court guidelines.
Amsel, 51, was arrested in July 2015 after letter bombs were delivered to his ex-wife and two law firms. Two of the letter bombs were safely detonated, but lawyer Maria Mitousis lost her right hand and suffered multiple other injuries when a package she was holding exploded.
Amsel is also facing charges in connection with a 2013 explosion at his ex-wife's home. No one was injured in that incident.
Two weeks had been set aside for the defence motion, which, if successful, would result in the exclusion at trial of a blood sample taken from Amsel for the purposes of DNA comparison.
Zaman told Lord one week will still be sufficient time to argue the motion.
The trial is scheduled to hear witness testimony beginning Oct. 25.
With files from the Canadian Press