He didn't know it at the time, but the package that Ollie Ehrmantraut was shaking next to his ear contained a bomb.

The Winnipeg resident is the owner of Ollie's Auto, which shares a lot with James Automotive where Iris Amsel is also an employee. She was the target of what police allege was a campaign of revenge perpetrated by her ex-husband, Guido Amsel, after a long and bitter divorce.

Amsel is accused of placing an explosive compound inside digital voice recorders and mailing them to several locations across the city, including the workplace of his ex-wife's lawyer, Maria Mitousis, and James Automotive.

Mitousis lost her right hand and severely injured her left when handling one of the mailed packages. She also suffered countless injuries to her face, chest and thighs. She remains in hospital.

Ehrmantraut said the package addressed to Iris Amsel was mistakenly delivered to his auto shop. He said that he and his staff thought the package was unusual, but they left it on her desk while she was away from work.

"I was shaking it by my head trying to listen if anything was in it," Ehrmantraut told CTV Winnipeg. "We were bending it, and brought it up front there," he added.

It wasn't until July 3, when a mail bomb exploded at Mitousis' family law firm on River Avenue, that they suspected the letter might be dangerous.

"All of a sudden, nobody wanted to touch the package," said Ehrmantraut.

Ehrmantraut said he proceeded close his shop and sent a picture of the package to Iris Amsel.

"She was like: 'Don't open it,’" said Ehrmantraut.

A day later, Winnipeg police swarmed the neighbourhood and sent a bomb robot into her workplace on Washington Avenue.

The robot then detonated the explosive with a water cannon.

After realizing that he had held a bomb in his hands, and actually shaken it next to his ear, Ehrmantraut said he feels lucky to have escaped injury.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers also said that some of the mail carriers who handled the packages were left feeling distraught and have taken time off.

Guido Amsel is set to make his next appearance in court on Thursday.

With a report from CTV Winnipeg's Ben Miljure