The trial of an Ontario man accused of killing four members of a Muslim family in an alleged act of terrorism is set to hear more evidence from the defence today.
Nathaniel Veltman is accused of deliberately hitting the Afzaal family with his truck in June 2021 while they were out for a walk in London, Ont.
He has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.
Veltman took the stand in his own defence on Thursday, telling the jury that he experienced a period of mental decline during the pandemic and that he had a “fundamentalist” Christian upbringing that left him unable to properly socialize with people.
Jurors have previously seen video of Veltman telling a detective that his attack had been motivated by white nationalist beliefs.
The case is the first where Canada’s terrorism laws are being put before a jury in a first-degree murder trial.
Salman Afzaal, 46; his 44-year-old wife, Madiha Salman; their 15-year-old daughter, Yumna; and her 74-year-old grandmother, Talat Afzaal, were killed in the attack, while the couple’s nine-year-old son was seriously hurt but survived.
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