RED DEER

Financial adviser Brian Malley showed no outward signs of emotion late Tuesday as a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder in the pipe bomb slaying of a disabled client.

The four-man, eight-woman jury deliberated about 6 1/2 hours before finding Malley guilty as charged in the Nov. 25, 2011, killing of Vicky Shachtay in her Innisfail home.

Jurors accepted the Crown’s theory Malley had tired of providing Shachtay with expense money after he’d lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in her investments.

Crown prosecutor Anders Quist argued Malley made and delivered a pipe bomb to Shachtay’s home to “cut his losses.”

Shachtay, 23, a quadriplegic mother of one, was killed instantly when the device, disguised as a Christmas present, exploded as she opened it.

Malley, 57, was handed an automatic life sentence without parole for a minimum 25 years, meaning he’ll be 82 when he can be back on the street.

Outside court, lead Crown prosecutor Anders Quist said the case was a difficult one, but jurors reached the right conclusion.

“It was a horrible case, you have a single mom, in a wheelchair, being a victim to a crime like this,” Quist said.

The prosecutor called Malley’s conduct “a cold-blooded delivery of a pipe bomb to her residence in a Christmas bag (where she was) blown up and killed, it boggles the mind.”

Before sentencing, Shachtay’s brother, Vincent, addressed the court.

He said Malley’s horrific act had a far reaching effect.

“Our family aren’t the only victims in this case,” he said, reading from a prepared victim’s impact statement.

He said Malley’s actions also impacted the police, Crown, his own legal team, “your family Brian and an entire nation, they are all victims of your crime, sir.”

People in Innisfail will also not soon forget what happened, he said.

“You have forever changed a small town,” Shachtay said.

“People live in a small town because things like this don’t happen there.”

Throughout the verdict and subsequent sentencing, Malley, who did not testify in his own defence, showed no outward emotion.

Before passing sentence, Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Kirk Sisson gave Malley an opportunity to address the court.

“Do you have anything you wish to say?” Sisson asked.

“No,” came Malley’s terse reply.

The judge then passed sentence.

“I sentence you to imprisonment for life ... without eligibility for parole until you have served 25 years,”

After the sentencing defence counsel Bob Aloneissi did not make himself available for comment.

Quist said he expects the conviction to be appealed.