Manitoba man who sent letter bombs guilty of attempted murder

WINNIPEG — A judge on Thursday found a Manitoba man guilty of attempting to murder his former wife and two lawyers when he sent them letter bombs.

Guido Amsel was arrested and charged after three explosive packages were found in July 2015. Maria Mitousis, a lawyer who had represented Amsel’s ex-wife, Iris, in a financial dispute, lost her right hand when one of the bombs went off in her office.

“There is expert evidence, which I accept, that the devices in question were all capable of not only causing bodily harm but were potentially lethal,” Judge Tracey Lord said in handing down her verdict in a Winnipeg courtroom.

Lord said she was satisfied that DNA evidence found at the crime scenes belonged to Amsel and that he was the one who sent the explosive devices.

She rejected defence arguments as to how his DNA could have come to be there.

She said she also believed he planted a device that went off outside Iris Amsel’s home in December 2013.

Lord rejected Guido Amsel’s testimony in his own defence and said his explanation that he was being framed by his wife wasn’t credible.

“His explanations are entirely too remote and coincidental ... to be credible.”

Amsel said “I can’t believe that” as he was led from the court.

The judge said she concluded he wanted to hurt his wife and the lawyers for their role in a contentious lawsuit he had filed over profits from an autobody shop they had co-owned.

He dropped the lawsuit shortly before the letter bombs were sent.

“I am satisfied based on Mr. Amsel’s conspiratorial beliefs about those involved in his civil legal proceedings that he had motive to harm them by sending explosive devices,” Lord said.

“His motive was to punish them for their respective roles in the outcome.”