Veltman murder trial: Here’s what you need to know before day 13

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

Two forensic identification officers who helped process the scenes of the attack on the Afzaal family and of accused Nathaniel Veltman's apartment took the stand on Monday.

Here’s what you need to know before Tuesday.

 

WHAT HAPPENED ON MONDAY?

Monday saw two London Police Service forensic identification officers take the stand.

In an agreed statement of facts, Veltman has admitted he was behind the wheel of his Dodge Ram pickup truck that struck the Afzaal family while they waited to cross the street at Hyde Park Road and South Carriage Road.

Det. Const. Specialist Richard Veerman was tasked with taking photographs of the inside of Veltman’s truck as well as his downtown apartment and walked the jury through the photographs.

Although the bathroom and closet appear orderly, the main part of the studio apartment was dishevelled with clothing “strewn about” the room, according to Veerman.

The jury also noted most of the drawers in the kitchen and the dresser were pulled open with items inside exposed. Police also photographed a laptop, two USB drives, a router and a cellphone on a charger.

Veerman photographed the pickup truck inside a secure area of a local towing service. He removed the plastic evidence sheet covering the front end of the truck, where the jury could see pink and green fabric “wedged” into the hood.

Det. Const. Chris Thomas told the jury he took pictures at both the scene of the collision as well as the damaged pickup truck in the parking lot where Veltman turned himself into police.

He took photos of where the evidence cones had been placed by traffic management officers, and the jury saw images of a line of blue cones which appeared to denote the trucks path as it left the roadway, drove along the sidewalk and grass, and then returned back to the street.

Federal prosecutor Sarah Shaikh also read two new agreed statements of facts for the jury.

The first one tied some of the Afzaal family members to the pickup truck. Shaikh said Talat and Salman’s DNA were both identified on the hood of the truck, while DNA from Madiha was identified on the push bar at the front of the truck.

The parties also agreed Madiha and Talat were wearing clothing that was a match for pieces of fabric found wedged in the hood of the truck.

In a second agreed statement of facts, the parties agree on what was recovered from inside Veltman's truck: an airsoft pistol that looked like a black handgun, a six-inch serrated knife, a two-inch serrated knife with a curve, and 12-inch machete in the sheath.

Veltman's drivers’ licence and a financial institution card were also seized from the cupholder.

 

WHAT IS EXPECTED IN COURT ON TUESDAY?

The Crown’s case is expected to continue on Tuesday with more evidence being presented.

 

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

During the third week of the trial, testimony was heard 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.

 

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