2 faces of an accused killer: a look at accused’s testimony at London, Ont. attack trial
There is no question that Nathaniel Veltman killed four members of a Muslim family, the Afzaals, and seriously injured a child in London, Ont., but a jury will soon be tasked with trying to answer why.
Is the 22-year-old a terrorist who planned the attack or is he a troubled man who had been successfully resisting violent urges until hallucinogenic drugs weakened his impulse control?
The Crown has provided one explanation while the defence is in the process of providing evidence for the other, with the accused himself as its first witness.
Veltman is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempt murder after his truck drove “pedal to the medal” into the Afzaal family on June 6, 2021. He has pleaded not guilty in the case, which marks the first time Canada’s terrorism laws are being put before a jury in a first-degree murder trial.
His testimony wrapped up Tuesday, Oct. 24, after the defence had the opportunity to briefly question him for the second time following the Crown’s cross-examination.
On Thursday, Oct. 12, after providing opening remarks stressing that “the burden of proof is on the Crown, beyond a reasonable doubt” and that the defence “need not call evidence,” lawyer Christopher Hicks announced that the defence would be calling evidence and that the accused would be its first witness.
Veltman told the jury he was born Dec. 20, 2000, in London and raised on three-quarters of an acre in Strathroy on a semi-rural property. He was the second oldest of six children, as his twin sister was born a couple of hours before him.
He went to a Christian school for pre-kindergarten before the family started homeschooling. Veltman described his mother as “a religious fanatic” and said he was
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