Dr. Julian Gojer, a forensic psychiatrist, resumed his testimony in the trial of Nathaniel Veltman on Thursday after several days of discussions between lawyers and Justice Renee Pomerance without the jury’s presence. Veltman stands accused of mowing down the Afzaal family with his pickup truck in London, Ontario, on June 6th, 2021, resulting in the deaths of four family members.
Veltman, 22, has confessed to the act but pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. Prosecutors have also charged him with related terrorism offences as they believe his actions were fuelled by far-right ideology.
In his testimony, Dr. Gojer discussed Veltman’s mental state, suggesting that if Veltman’s account is truthful, he was experiencing severe anxiety, impaired judgement, and an inability to rationally assess the situation. Instead, Veltman was fixated on his obsession.
The victims of the tragic incident were Yumnah Afzaal, a 15-year-old high school student, her parents Madiha Salman, an engineer, and Salman Afzaal, a physiotherapist, and the family’s matriarch Talat Afzaal, a teacher and artist. A nine-year-old boy was also severely injured in the attack but survived.
Following his arrest, Veltman confessed to the police. He detailed planning the attack after being influenced by far-right content on the internet. Evidence found in Veltman’s apartment included notes about vehicle speeds most likely fatal to pedestrians and a document titled “A White Awakening,” which prosecutors have characterised as a manifesto.
However, Veltman, testifying in his defence, claimed he did not plan the attack and fabricated the story in his jail cell as a self-justification. He asserted that he was in a “dream-like state” and could not resist driving into the family, whom he identified as Muslim by their attire.
According to Dr. Gojer, Veltman discussed an urge to press the gas pedal, indicating some awareness of his actions’ consequences. He suggested Veltman was either removing his moral restraints to execute his horrific action or quelling his obsessions.
Veltman also admitted to consuming magic mushrooms approximately 40 hours before the incident. Dr. Gojer suggested that the drugs leaving his system might have affected his ability to resist his urges.
Veltman, diagnosed by Dr. Gojer with obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism spectrum disorder, depression, anxiety, and personality disorder, reportedly took the mushrooms following the death of his great-grandmother, a significant maternal figure in his life.
Dr. Gojer’s testimony will proceed on Friday.