Alleged letter bomber Guido Amsel will plead not guilty: Lawyer

WINNIPEG — Guido Amsel, accused of sending three letter bombs to Winnipeg addresses, appeared in court with his lawyer Friday morning.

High profile lawyer Martin Glazer took on Amsel’s case and says his client is innocent and police have the wrong guy.

“We have some suspects in mind,” said Glazer, “I think the police investigation was done too quickly, I think they should have waited.”

Amsel, wearing an orange jumpsuit, sat quietly next to a sheriff’s officer in the prisoner’s box, only nodding and saying yes when the judge asked his name.

Glazer says the prosecution has very little evidence, “there’s no bomb making equipment found, there’s no DNA, there’s no fingerprints.”

WATCH: Guido Amsel’s lawyer speaks to media

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Amsel is charged with three counts of attempted murder and multiple weapons and explosives charges in connection with letter bombs that detonated in Winnipeg on July 3, 4 and 5. The first letter bomb seriously injured Maria Mitousis, Amsel’s ex-wife’s lawyer, who lost her right hand and suffered serious injuries to her face, chest, thighs and her other hand.  The other bombs were sent to his ex-wife’s business and the law firm where Guido Amsel’s former lawyer once worked; they were detonated by the Winnipeg Police Service bomb disposal unit.  Sources say Amsel and his wife were still sorting out a messy divorce case.

“He had no motive,” said Glazer, “He divorced his wife 11 years ago, he remarried 10 years ago all or most of the civil matters were settled already.”

Glazer appeared Friday on behalf of Amsel for the first time since his arrest on July 6. Amsel has had difficulty securing a lawyer, with some Winnipeg defence lawyers stating publicly that they wouldn’t represent him.

Glazer says Amsel was recently moved to the Headingley Correctional Centre and is in isolation.

“he’s locked up 23 and half hours a day without any phone calls and that concerns us,” said Glazer, “there’s a man who’s never been in custody before and he’s being treated quiet harshly.”

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Glazer says Amsel will be seeking bail.

The case will be back in court on Tuesday.