Nathaniel Veltman was found guilty of the premeditated murder of four members of the Afzaal family while driving his van in June 2021. He is also guilty of attempted murder against the youngest family member to survive the truck attack – the ram.
Yumna Afzaal, her parents Madiha Salman and Salman Afzaal, and her grandmother Talat Afzaal died on June 6, 2021. The child survived but was seriously injured.
The jury had been deliberating since late Wednesday afternoon. Nathaniel Veltman remained unmoved as the verdict was read.
As he left court, defense attorney Christopher Hicks said his client was in shock knowing he was facing 25 years in prison.
The lawyer also clarified that he does not exclude the possibility of appealing this decision. We will first record this judgment and then receive instructions from our client. And we’ll see what we’ll do.
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From left to right, the four people killed in the attack on June 6, 2021 in London: Yumna Afzaal, 15; his mother, Madiha Salman, 44; his paternal grandmother, Talat Afzaal, 74; and his father, Salman Afzaal, 46.
Photo: Photo provided by the Afzaal family
tears
Even before the jury entered the room, the tension was palpable.
The judge asked those present to avoid visible reactions to the verdict. However, members of the Muslim community present in the hall when the verdict was announced could not help but express their relief. Some people shed tears and many hugged each other.
The judge thanked the jurors for their work.
As she left the court, Tabinda Bukhari, Madiha Salman’s mother, read a prepared statement to the victims’ relatives.
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Tabinda Bukhari read a statement while surrounded by relatives of the victims.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Katherine Brulotte
First responders, police officers, people at the scene, witnesses, prosecutors, jurors, judges, people involved in this pursuit of justice: “We cannot thank you enough,” she said with a lump in her throat.
He wanted to instill fear and terror in our hearts. However, this was not an attack on all Muslims, but rather an attack on the safety of all Canadians.
For his part, Ontario Premier Doug Ford highlighted the ruling on social media. Today, justice was served for the Afzaal family and a still grieving community. Nothing can bring back the innocent lives lost in this senseless murder. “Let us honor her memory by continuing to fight Islamophobia in all its forms,” his release said.
The concept of terrorism is still unresolved
This is a victory for the Crown, which argued that the acts committed amounted to premeditated murder under terrorist circumstances. However, she did not make any specific charges of terrorism. Rather, the terrorist context was cited as one of the theories that could explain the intentionality of the actions.
In her instructions to the jury on Wednesday, Ontario Superior Court Justice Renée Pomerance told jurors that two explanations could lead to a verdict of first-degree murder:
- the defendant must have intended to kill the victims;
- The defendant must have planned the crime or wanted to frighten a group of people and then committed a terrorist attack.
During the sentencing hearing, the judge must analyze the evidence and could determine whether an act of terrorism was involved. Both parties can give their opinion and provide additional evidence.
Me Hicks explained to the journalists in attendance that the judge could adopt her own view of the matter. It is not clear from the jury’s decision whether he declared this [mon client] guilty of first-degree murder under the Penal Code […] or due to allegations of terrorism. We do not know it. We can’t ask the jury any questions. We’ll see what the judge says when he delivers the verdict.
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Defense attorney Christopher Hicks answered questions from reporters as he left court.
Photo: Radio-Canada
Under Canadian law, jury deliberations and verdict reasons are secret, so lawyers and the public do not know how or why the jury reached its decision. The jury does not have to say whether terrorism was a factor in its decision.
A case that sets a precedent
Mr. Hicks also noted that this case is historic: it is the first premeditated murder trial in Canada before a jury in which terrorism is considered a factor.
It will influence the way violent crimes are handled in Canada’s justice system, said Jack Rozdilsky, an emergency management professor and radicalization expert at York University.
This case will help draw a map for how we deal with extremist violence in Canada.
A sentencing hearing will be held on December 1.
Under the Canadian Criminal Code, premeditated murder is punishable by life imprisonment.