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Mail bombing trial extended by a week

An extra week has been added to the trial of a man accused of sending a bomb that killed a disabled mother in Innisfail.RCMP allege that Vicky Shachtay, 23, died in an explosion shortly after receiving a package delivered to the doorstep of her home on Nov. 25, 2011.

An extra week has been added to the trial of a man accused of sending a bomb that killed a disabled mother in Innisfail.

RCMP allege that Vicky Shachtay, 23, died in an explosion shortly after receiving a package delivered to the doorstep of her home on Nov. 25, 2011.

Shachtay’s caregiver was injured in the blast. Shachtay’s daughter, seven at the time, had left for school when the package arrived.

Months after Shachtay’s death, police arrested financial adviser Brian Andrew Malley, now 57, on charges of first-degree murder, causing an explosion likely to injure or kill and sending an explosive device.

Malley is to stand trial by judge and jury next month in the Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench, represented by defence counsel Bob Aloneissi of Edmonton.

A pre-trial voir dire was just concluded. Legal teams led by Aloneissi and Crown prosecutor Anders Quist argued about which elements of the Crown’s case can be presented to the jury and whether any of the Crown’s evidence should be excluded from the trial.

Evidence examined in the voir dire, or trial within a trial, cannot be published to avoid tainting the jury.

Originally scheduled to open on Jan. 26, the trial was moved ahead by more than a week to ensure that adequate time is available.

Malley’s trial opens before Justice Kirk Sisson with jury selection scheduled for Jan. 15 and 16. Quist and his team expect to open their case on the following Monday.