Convicted bomber Guido Amsel hires new lawyer

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This article was published 03/07/2018 (2270 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A convicted bomber now has a new lawyer as he awaits his sentencing hearing.

Three years after bombs were mailed to Guido Amsel’s ex-wife and local lawyers, the 52-year-old former auto mechanic told court he is hiring Brandon lawyer Andrew Synyshyn to represent him at his sentencing hearing, which has now been set for October.

Amsel spoke briefly during his short court appearance Wednesday, confirming to provincial court Judge Tracey Lord that he wants Synyshyn to represent him. A representative from Legal Aid Manitoba told the judge legal aid will issue a certificate to Synyshyn so he can act on Amsel’s behalf.

Synyshyn now has to get disclosure of all of the evidence and documents related to the case, which went through a lengthy trial last fall. Since he fired his previous defence lawyers after he was convicted this spring, 17 boxes of documents were shipped to Amsel at the correctional institution.

It’s the third time Amsel has changed lawyers since his criminal court process began. He was arrested in July 2015 after one of the mailed bombs caused an explosion at a River Avenue law office. The explosion severely injured lawyer Maria Mitousis, who had represented Amsel’s ex-wife Iris Amsel during the couple’s civil-law dispute over their shared autobody business.

He was convicted in May on 15 criminal charges including four counts of attempted murder for building four bombs: two which targeted Iris, one which targeted Mitousis and one sent to lawyer George Orle, who worked in the law office that had represented Guido.

Amsel has said he considers his conviction a “wrongful” one and plans to appeal. The appeal process can’t begin until he is sentenced.

Synyshyn was previously one of the defence lawyers for Raymond Cormier, who earlier this year was found not guilty of second-degree murder in the death of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay