The man accused of murdering four members of a Muslim family in London, Ont., and injuring their young child is now set to return to court on Oct. 20 following a brief appearance on Wednesday.
The case surrounds what marks the deadliest mass murder in London’s history.
On the evening of June 6, five members of a local family were out for a walk in the city’s Hyde Park neighbourhood before they were run over by a pickup truck.
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.
The couple’s nine-year-old son, Fayez, was left seriously injured.
Nathaniel Veltman, 20, of London, faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder, and Crown prosecutors allege that each offence constituted an act of terrorism.
Police have also labelled the attack a hate crime and say the victims were targeted based on their religion.
Wednesday’s court appearance lasted just over two minutes as Veltman appeared virtually from the confines of Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre (EMDC).
An articling student appearing on behalf of Veltman’s lawyer, Christopher Hicks, requested a two-week adjournment in order “to receive and review further disclosure and hopefully have some discussions with the Crown.”
A representative for Jennifer Moser, an assistant Crown attorney assigned to the case, said three waves of disclosure have been sent to Hicks and that a fourth is en route.
The court ruled to allow the adjournment, meaning the case will resume on Oct. 20.
Veltman was remanded into custody following the hearing and remains at EMDC in the meantime.
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