Testimony in the Brian Malley murder trial centred around a piece of pipe on Friday.
Crown prosecutors contend that a 15-cm piece of galvanized pipe purchased by Malley was among the components used to construct the pipe bomb that killed Victoria Shachtay on Nov. 25, 2011.
In opening statements in the Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench trial, the defence told the jury that all of the components purchased, including smokeless gunpowder and pipe, were standard items that an avid hunter and home builder like Malley would have.
Crown prosecutor Todd Buziak tried on Friday to poke holes in the defence’s position that pipe Malley purchased was used as a sleeve to protect a gas line related to work done at Malley’s mother-in-law’s Edmonton home.
ATCO gas fitter and inspector Timothy Rouault was involved with the May 2014 job to move a meter at the house, but did not specifically recall it.
ATCO and its contractors use a plastic sleeve to protect gas lines, but Rouault testified he has seen juice or tomato juice cans used in older projects.
Buziak showed Rouault a photograph of the sleeve that is evidence in the trial. Rouault said he had never seen one like that.
Defence lawyer Bob Aloneissi asked Rouault if the metal pipe in evidence could be used to protect a gas line’s integrity. He agreed it could.
Rouault was also asked whether metal pipe is sometimes used as a sleeve.
He answered he could recall only plastic or tin cans used.
Aloneissi then questioned him closely about a statement he gave police about sleeves in which he said he may have seen pipe used.
Rouault repeated he couldn’t recall other materials besides plastic and tins cans used. After repeated questioning on the point, he said he may have mentioned pipe but couldn’t recall specifically and may have been nervous at the time.
Also testifying on Friday was retired RCMP Staff Sgt. Alexander White, who was responsible for checking out Malley’s shopping purchases at hardware and plumbing stores in Innisfail, Red Deer and Edmonton. His job was to connect bomb components to Malley purchases by reviewing transactions and receipts.
Aloneissi asked if any effort was made to correlate similar purchases made by anyone else with the bomb components.
“I wasn’t tasked with that,” said White.
Malley’s first-degree murder trial will enter its fifth of an expected seven weeks on Tuesday.
The Crown is expected to wrap up its case on that day with four final witnesses.
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com