Veltman murder trial: Closing arguments expected to get underway on Tuesday

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

Eleven weeks after getting underway, the jury in the murder trial of Nathaniel Veltman, accused of running down five members of a London, Ont. Muslim family, killing four of them, is expected to hear closing arguments.

Here’s what you missed.

 

WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK?

Lawyers for Nathaniel Veltman concluded their case on the afternoon of Nov. 6 and the Crown did not call any new evidence.

As a result, the jury of 13 people was sent home and asked to be on standby until Friday at the earliest.

“We are conscious of the fact the trial is already a little bit over the eight-week estimate we provided at the outset [of the trial],” Justice Renee Pomerance said to the jury Monday. “The original estimate was 12 weeks, and we might have been a little optimist in reducing it to eight weeks.”

Monday marked the first day of the tenth week of court time, and the ninth week of evidence in the case against Veltman.

“I thank you for your conscientious intelligent attention throughout the evidence in this case,” Pomerance said to the jury while apologizing for the delay of at least three days.

“I want you to know there are things we need to address. They are very important. We are going to try to address them as efficiently as we can but we also have to get it right,” the judge said.

“In some respects, it’s unfortunate because it delays our ability to keep going,” Pomerance told the jury. “But I can assure you that whether we bring you back on Friday or bring you back on Tuesday, we will be working very hard throughout the period of time you are not with us.”

The judge, Crown and defence worked on Nov. 7 and 8, but did so in the jury’s absence, so the information is subject to a publication ban and therefore not reportable by the media.

On Nov. 9, the jury was told by the court they are not required until Nov. 14 at 11 a.m., following the observation of Remembrance Day, which this year fell on a Saturday.

 

WHAT IS EXPECTED IN COURT ON TUESDAY?

Closing arguments are expected to get underway on Tuesday.

However, proceedings are first expected to hear from the defence, Crown and the judge before the case is put in the hands of the 13-person jury for a verdict.

 

A RECAP OF WEEK ONE

The murder trial of 22-year-old Nathaniel Veltman officially got underway in a Windsor courtroom more than two years after he allegedly drove into five members of the Afzaal family in London, killing four of them, in what’s been called a hate motivated attack.

Week one saw jury selection get underway and a reduction in the length of the trial after negotiations between the Crown and the defence.

 

A RECAP OF WEEK TWO

Week two of trial heard testimony from a cab driver, 9-1-1 dispatcher, a witness to the attack, and a detective from the London Police Service who interviewed the accused.

 

A RECAP OF WEEK THREE

Testimony was heard during week three from officers who were the first to arrive on the scene of the attack, the parking lot where Veltman was arrested, and the jury saw video surveillance and testimony from the detective who was the first to interview the accused.

 

A RECAP OF WEEK FOUR

During the fourth week of the trial, the jury heard testimony from forensic investigators who examined the apartment and pickup truck of the accused in the days after the attack and from the arresting officer.

 

A RECAP OF WEEK FIVE

The prosecution rested its case during the fifth week of the trial after calling a digital forensic expert with the Windsor Police Service and reading to the jury excerpts of Veltman’s manifesto.

 

A RECAP OF WEEK SIX

During a shortened sixth week of the trial due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the jury heard from the accused who took the stand as the defence’s first witness. The court heard about Veltman’s state of mind, his upbringing and childhood, and his history of suicidal thoughts and drug use.

 

A RECAP OF WEEK SEVEN

During week seven the accused took the stand in his own defence and underwent cross examination by the Crown, where he admitted to running down five members of the Afzaal family with his truck.

 

A RECAP OF WEEK EIGHT

The accused concluded his testimony while the defence brought in their second witness, a forensic psychiatrist during the eighth week of the trial.

 

A RECAP OF WEEK NINE

Week nine of the 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.

 

A RECAP OF WEEK 10

It was a short week in the Veltman murder trial as the Crown and defence finished presenting evidence and the jury was released until Nov. 14, where closing arguments are expected to begin.

 

THE JUNE 6, 2021 ATTACK

On June 6, 2021 five members of the Afzaal family were out for a summer walk along Hyde Park Road in west London when they were run down by a pickup truck in what police allege was a hate motivated attack.

Four people died, including father Salman, mother Madiha, 15-year-old daughter Yumna, and grandmother Talat. The lone survivor was a nine-year-old boy who was injured, and has since recovered. He is now living with relatives.

Moments after the crash, London police arrested and charged Nathaniel Veltman, now 22 years of age. He has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

— With files from CTV News London's Nick Paparella and CTV News Windsor's Michelle Maluske