The trial of a man facing terror-related murder charges in the deaths of four members of a Muslim family in London, Ont., will be held in a different city.
An Ontario judge ruled Monday that a change of venue is warranted in the case of Nathaniel Veltman.
The reasons for that decision, as well as the evidence and arguments presented in court, cannot be disclosed due to a publication ban.
The new location has not yet been determined.
Veltman, who was 20 at the time of his arrest, is accused of deliberately hitting the family with his truck as they were out for a walk on the evening of June 6, 2021.
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. The couple’s nine-year-old son was seriously hurt.
Veltman faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in what prosecutors allege was an act of terrorism.
His case will be heading straight to trial without a preliminary inquiry. The trial is set to begin in September 2023.
The deaths of the Afzaal family sent waves of shock, grief and fear across the country, and spurred ongoing calls for measures to combat Islamophobia.
Last month, London residents and members of the local Muslim community gathered to honour the family a year after the attack.
The City of London has also dedicated a garden to the Afzaal family.
Veltman’s attorney, Christopher Hicks, told Global News it was “essential that the trial be moved” outside of London “to ensure a fair trial” for the accused.
“There are a number of conditions prevailing on this issue that I think were very important and militated in favour of a change of venue,” he said.
-With files from Global News
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