Veltman murder trial: Here’s what you need to know before day 19

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

Testimony from a Windsor police digital forensic expert continued on Wednesday, and the jury heard excerpts from Nathaniel Veltman’s manifesto.

Here’s what you missed.

 

WHAT HAPPENED ON WEDNESDAY?

On Wednesday, the jury learned about “The White Awakening,” a manifesto written by Veltman about one month before the June 6, 2021 attack.

“I am a white nationalist,” Veltman wrote as he apologized for “rambling.”

“I keep changing my mind about what I want to say,” he wrote.

In the manifesto, Veltman outlined his views on religion, democracy and ideology. CTV News London made the decision to not report on offensive content contained in the manifesto.

He said he’s against multiculturalism and “mass immigration,” and believes there is a lot of “Muslim on white” crime, although he had no specific examples other than theories that had been debunked.

The jury also learned Veltman downloaded and viewed two videos of mass shootings and two other manifestos penned by mass shooters in two other countries.

 

WHAT IS EXPECTED IN COURT ON THURSDAY?

The Crown is expected to continue calling evidence on Thursday.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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