Police found digital recorders during search of Guido Amsel's home, bombing suspect's trial hears

The trial of accused letter bomber Guido Amsel heard testimony Wednesday about what Winnipeg police found during a search of his home two days after a bomb seriously injured lawyer Maria Mitousis.

Winnipeg Police Service Insp. Brian Miln testified he was one of several bomb-unit officers who executed a search warrant at Amsel'shome onPandora Avenue in July 2015.

Miln said officers found a floor-to-ceiling safe in the basement that, once checked forexplosives or possible "booby traps," was found to be storing two digital voice recorders.

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"Members of the bomb unit X-rayed the recorders to ensure they weren't improvised explosive devices and they were not," Miln said.

Amsel, 51, is on trial in connection withbomb packages delivered to two law firms and his ex-wife in July 2015 and a December 2013 explosion at his ex-wife's RM of St.Clementshome.

One of those bombs severely injured Winnipeg lawyer Maria Mitousis.

Court previously heard testimony that the bomb that injured Mitousis and resulted in the loss of her right hand was housed in a recording device similar to the ones police say they found in Amsel's home. A note sent to Mitousiswith the device encouraged her to activate it, the trial heard earlier.

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Miln said police executed a so-called "sneak-and-peek" warrant on July 31, 2015 at another "residence of interest" on Minaki Bay in Winnipeg.

Miln said thathome's kitchen, dining room and basement workshop were littered with electronic devices and tools, including soldering irons, a rollof copper wire, what he described as "small electronic items you would see at Radio Shack," and partially disassembled Christmas tree bulbs.

A disassembled electronic greeting card"held some significance," Miln said.

A similar style card was believed to be the trigger for a bomb that was delivered to a Stradbrook Avenue law firm. It was safely detonated by police.