Nathaniel Veltman murder trial: A recap of week 9

WARNING: The video and the details in this article may be disturbing to some viewers

Week nine of the Nathaniel Veltman murder trial was marred by a sick juror and legal arguments, with testimony and cross examination of a forensic psychiatrist resuming in the latter half of the week.

Here’s what you missed.

 

MONDAY, OCTOBER 30

The jury hearing the case against Nathaniel Veltman, 22, is now down to 13 members after a juror was released from Windsor’s Superior Court Monday morning.

Veltman is charged with four counts of terrorism-motivated first-degree murder and one count of terrorism-motivated attempted murder for the June 6, 2021 attack on the Afzaal family in London, Ont.

Four family members, grandmother Talat, her son Salman, his wife Madiha and their teenage daughter Yumnah, were killed while their son, now 11 years old, survived his injuries.

Justice Renee Pomerance told the jury the sick juror cannot return until they test negative, and since they don’t know how long that will take, the juror was removed.

This is the start of the ninth week for the trial, the eighth week of evidence.

 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31

Tuesday morning in court for the trial started with discussions between the lawyers and judge — without the jury.

Because the jury wasn't in the room, details were not reportable.

 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1

The 13-member jury hearing the case against Veltman was not called to Superior Court on Wednesday.

Lawyers and the judge were in legal arguments in the absence of the jury. As a result, the content of the discussions are subject to a publication ban until the jury reaches a verdict.

After the trial, the media is at liberty to report details the jury didn't hear.

 

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2

Thursday got underway with more legal arguments between the judge and lawyers, with the jury not sitting until 2 p.m. in the afternoon, and a forensic psychiatrist returning to the witness box Thursday afternoon.

Gojer told the jury Veltman’s description of his state of mind being in a “dream-like state” at the time of the attack on the Afzaal family is indicative of him focusing on his obsessions and not fully considering the consequences of his actions.

Court has heard at the time, Veltman had strong far-right views about the world, including his belief that mainstream media was not reporting on “minority on white” person crimes.

Veltman testified when he saw groups of Muslims — first in Toronto and then in London — he managed to resist his urge to hit them with his truck. But on the night of June 6, 2021, Veltman said he saw the Afzaal family and the urge to “step on the gas” was stronger than the first two times, and he “crashed into them” by “putting the pedal to the metal.”

Veltman testified he felt if he acted on his urges, all his thoughts about harming Muslims would go away.

“I felt it would all just go away if I stepped on the gas [of his truck],” Veltman testified.

Gojer told the jury Thursday he believes Veltman was "focusing only on his obsessions and not on the consequences of his actions,” and described the thoughts as “narrow vision.”

At the same time, Gojer testified the fact Veltman convinced himself hitting the young boy was “collateral damage” is indicative of “a certain degree of awareness for the consequences of his actions.”

Defence lawyer Christopher Hicks asked Gojer to opine on Veltman’s state of mind while he wrote his manifesto, but the judge and Crown attorneys both objected, and said that was beyond the psychiatrist’s expert opinion.

Hicks then moved onto the issue of psilocybin usage. Veltman has admitted to consuming three grams around 3 a.m. on June 5, 2021, the day before the attack.

Gojer told the jury the intoxication phase for psilocybin is “generally” six hours but it can last between four to eight hours. He also testified there are “rare but reported” research papers that deal with adverse or linger effects of psilocybin consumption that can last for “days, weeks or months,” and could “trigger” a mental illness.

Late Thursday Hicks told the judge he was nearly done his examination in chief but wanted to conclude Friday.

Justice Renee Pomerance, left to right, Dr. Julian Gojer, Nathaniel Veltman, and lawyer Christopher Hicks attend court during Veltman's trial in Windsor, Ont., as shown in this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 courtroom sketch. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Alexandra Newbould

 

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3

A Windsor jury learned Friday Veltman cannot argue he is not criminally responsible (NCR) because of his mental illnesses.

Section 16.1 of the Criminal Code of Canada reads, “No person is criminally responsible for an act committed or an omission made while suffering from a mental disorder that rendered the person incapable of appreciating the nature and quality of the act or omission or of knowing that it was wrong.”

Gojer was hired by defence lawyers for Veltman to assess their client for trial and he was asked by the court to assess Veltman for a possible NCR defence.

“I cannot say Mr. Veltman is NCR,” Gojer testified Friday.

Gojer based his opinion, detailed in a report, on an initial 18-hour interview with Veltman while at Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre and various appointments with the accused since then.

Although Gojer has been on the stand off and on since Oct. 24, this is the first time the jury learned the detail, as it was offered in cross-examination by Crown Attorney Jennifer Moser.

“I didn’t see any aspect of the assessment that impacts on criminal responsibility,” Gojer testified. “To me, it was a fairly easy opinion. He didn’t have a defence [for NCR].”

In his examination in chief by defence lawyer Christopher Hicks, Gojer has told the jury Veltman suffers from several mental illnesses including obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), depression, anxiety and complex trauma.

Finally, Gojer confirmed Veltman refused to let the doctor speak with his mother or five siblings. Gojer was only able to speak with Veltman’s father about their history.

“I would have loved to have spoken with his mother,” Gojer told the jury.

Moser agreed and said it would have been beneficial to get collateral information or a family history to confirm what the Crown called Veltman’s “claim of childhood trauma.”