A man who killed four members of a Muslim family in London, Ont., told a sentencing hearing on Tuesday that he was sorry for the pain he caused, an apology dismissed by the victims害羞草研究所� family as the 害羞草研究所渟trategic words害羞草研究所� of a 害羞草研究所渒iller.害羞草研究所�
Nathaniel Veltman, 23, was found guilty in November of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder for hitting the Afzaal family with his truck while they were out for a walk on June 6, 2021.
Before Veltman addressed Tuesday害羞草研究所檚 hearing, the court heard arguments on whether his attack amounted to terrorism, with the Crown arguing he was a white supremacist with a plan to commit violence while the defence claimed he kept his beliefs to himself.
害羞草研究所淚 want to take this opportunity to express my regret for the loss of the Afzaal family,害羞草研究所� Veltman told the court.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 sorry for this pain and suffering that I caused. I cannot turn back time,害羞草研究所� he said.
Veltman has been convicted of killing 46-year-old Salman Afzaal; his 44-year-old wife, Madiha Salman; their 15-year-old daughter, Yumna; and her 74-year-old grandmother, Talat Afzaal, while the couple害羞草研究所檚 nine-year-old son was seriously hurt but survived.
Speaking outside the court after the hearing, Madiha Salman害羞草研究所檚 uncle Ali Islam rejected Veltman害羞草研究所檚 comments on behalf of the family.
害羞草研究所淭his is not an apology. These are strategic words coming from a killer after he is convicted. He could have chosen any time to apologize, but to do it just before sentencing, so it can be entered in the record as an apology is a checkbox 害羞草研究所� for the parole board. This is not an apology. This is strategy,害羞草研究所� Islam told reporters.
Veltman害羞草研究所檚 trial was the first where Canada害羞草研究所檚 terrorism laws were put before a jury in a first-degree murder trial.
During Tuesday害羞草研究所檚 hearing, Crown lawyer Sarah Shaikh argued that evidence in the case showed Veltman is a 害羞草研究所渞ight-wing white nationalist, and a white supremacist.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淗e has a vision about a new society and a plan to achieve that new society 害羞草研究所� his plan involves sending a message through a violent act,害羞草研究所� she said.
Shaikh argued Veltman害羞草研究所檚 attack should be considered terrorism because he was motivated by white nationalist ideology at the time and had stated in a manifesto found in his apartment and to police that he wanted to send a message to Muslims that they are not welcome in Canada.
害羞草研究所淗is desire for revenge against so-called Muslim-on-white or Black-on-white crimes fuelled his racist beliefs that the white race is the superior race,害羞草研究所� she said.
Veltman had a plan to inspire others to commit similar attacks, Shaikh said, noting Veltman said he was inspired by Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 people in a pair of New Zealand mosque shootings in 2019.
害羞草研究所淭he offender害羞草研究所檚 larger plan is the development of an all-white society,害羞草研究所� Shaikh said. 害羞草研究所淭o achieve this plan, he decided to commit brutal violence towards Muslims, killing who he can in an effort to convince the rest to leave.害羞草研究所�
Defence lawyer Christopher Hicks argued Veltman害羞草研究所檚 attack should not be considered terrorism because he didn害羞草研究所檛 publish his manifesto, which the lawyer noted also contained antisemitic views.
害羞草研究所淵ou have a 20-year-old young man sitting in his studio apartment 害羞草研究所� just making notes to himself,害羞草研究所� Hicks said. 害羞草研究所淗e has no plans to disseminate it, it害羞草研究所檚 never propagated anywhere. It害羞草研究所檚 on his computer, and he is virtually the only one to see it.害羞草研究所�
Justice Renee Pomerance, who has been presiding over the case, asked Hicks whether Veltman had told police he kept his ideology private so 害羞草研究所渉is plan would not be foiled.害羞草研究所� Hicks said Veltman had obsessive compulsive fears he would be detected by police or federal government intelligence agencies.
Veltman, wearing a wrinkled black suit and shirt, sat in the courtroom listening to the proceedings. He had been greeted earlier in the day by one of his defence lawyers with a fist bump.
Jurors at Veltman害羞草研究所檚 trial had been instructed by Pomerance that they could convict Veltman of first-degree murder if they unanimously agreed prosecutors had established he intended to kill the victims, and planned and deliberated his attack. She also told jurors they could reach that same verdict if they found that the killings were terrorist activity.
The terror component wasn害羞草研究所檛 a separate charge, and juries don害羞草研究所檛 explain how they reach their verdict, so it害羞草研究所檚 unclear what role 害羞草研究所� if any 害羞草研究所� the terror allegations played in their decision.
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse before the hearing began, defence lawyer Peter Ketcheson said Veltman faces a sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years on his first-degree murder convictions. The issue of a terrorism designation could become significant if and when Veltman applies for parole, he said.
A decision on the terrorism issue will also be significant for future cases, he said.
害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 not much case law in the area,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭his is going to be precedent-setting and cases in the future when they害羞草研究所檙e determining whether or not it is terrorist activity, they will look back on Justice Pomerance害羞草研究所檚 decision for some guidance.害羞草研究所�
Pomerance is expected to sentence Veltman on Feb. 22.
During the trial, Veltman testified he had been considering using his pickup truck, which he bought a month earlier, to carry out an attack and looked up information online about what happens when pedestrians get struck by cars at various speeds.
He told the jury that he felt an 害羞草研究所渦rge害羞草研究所� to hit the Afzaal family after seeing them walking on a sidewalk, adding that he knew they were Muslims from the clothes they were wearing and he noticed the man in the group had a beard.
Jurors had also seen video of Veltman telling a detective his attack had been motivated by white nationalist beliefs. Court also heard that he wrote a manifesto in the weeks before the attack, describing himself as a white nationalist and peddling unfounded conspiracy theories about Muslims.
Veltman害羞草研究所檚 trial was heard in Windsor, Ont., but the sentencing proceedings, including victim impact statements, are taking place in London.
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