Veltman was focused on obsessions not on consequences, psychiatrist testifies

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

Dr. Julian Gojer returned to the witness box Thursday afternoon in a Windsor, Ont. courtroom in the ongoing trial of Nathaniel Veltman.

The 22-year-old has pleaded not guilty to 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 members of their family died, grandmother Talat, her son Salman, his wife Madiha and their 15-year-old daughter Yumnah, while a fifth family member — a nine-year-old son — suffered serious but survivable injuries.

Veltman has admitted in court he drove his pickup into the family while they waited to cross a busy city street.

Gojer told the jury Veltman’s description of his state of mind being in a “dream-like state” at the time of the attack 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, the first time being in Toronto and then in London, he managed to resist his urge to hit them with his truck.

Around 8:40 p.m. on 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."

The doctor 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.

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.

The trial will resume at 10 a.m. on Friday morning.