The calm of the courtroom was briefly broken as Dr. Julian Gojer made his way back to the stand, following a recess in the ongoing trial of Nathaniel Veltman, held in Windsor, Ontario. At only 22-years of age, Veltman finds himself bearing the burden of an accusation, pleading not guilty to terrorism-fueled first-degree murder, four counts, and one attempted count.
His victims were from the Afzaal family, residents of London, Ontario, tragically impacted during an attack, on a harsh day – June 6th, 2021. The unthinkable loss included four family members: Grandmother Talat, her son Salman, his wife Madiha, and their point of pride, their 15-year-old daughter Yumnah. Left to pick up the pieces was one remaining family member, a nine-year-old son, who, although seriously injured, lived to fight another day.
In a bold admittance, Veltman told the court that he was, undoubtedly, the one driving the pickup that rammed into them, as they innocently waited to cross a busy street. However, his defence attorney, Christopher Hicks, has maintained some degree of plausible deniability, contesting Veltman’s presence of mind at the time of the incident – placidly describing it as a “dream-like state”.
Dr. Gojer, an expert witness, detailed how this statement reflects Veltman’s obsessions clouding his judgment, leading to his inability to comprehend the far-reaching effects of his lethal actions. The court also heard details of Veltman’s contentious far-right beliefs, including harsh views on minority-induced crimes against the white community, which he claimed lacked appropriate media coverage.
During his testimony, Veltman spoke further on his predilections which resurfaced upon the sight of Muslim groups, in Toronto and then in London. However, he managed to contain his obsessive urges twice, something he failed to do at around 8:40 p.m. on June 6, 2021. On seeing the Afzaal family, he succumbed to his impulses and ended up, as he put it, “crashing into them”.
His thought process revealed a distorted logic; that acting on his fanatical inclinations, specifically, to harm Muslims would magically eliminate these harmful thoughts. Despite this, Dr. Gojer argued that Veltman’s attempt to justify the young boy’s injury as collateral damage demonstrates his partial awareness of the consequences.
Christopher Hicks attempted to shift the focus to Veltman’s state of mind while he was penning his manifesto. However, neither the Judge nor the Crown attorneys entertained this argument, stating it to be beyond the psychiatrist’s scope of expertise.
Delving into possible toxical effects, Hicks brought up Veltman’s admission of consuming psilocybin, a psychedelic substance, the day prior to the attack. Dr. Gojer clarified that psilocybin’s intoxication period lasts around six hours, but can also linger for days, weeks, or months, potentially triggering mental illnesses.
With remaining aspects of the examination to be completed, Hicks concluded late on Thursday, ensuring the continuation on Friday, at 10 a.m.
