A Canadian man accused of deliberately crashing his pickup truck into four members of a Muslim family said he had swallowed “magic mushrooms” before getting behind the wheel, and couldn’t resist the “urge” when he saw the victims.
Closing arguments in the murder and terrorism trial of Nathaniel Veltman, 22, were presented Tuesday in Windsor, Ont., capping 10 weeks of testimony, BBC News reported.
Veltman took the stand in his own defense, telling jurors that he had gotten high on a massive amount of psychedelic mushrooms about 40 hours before getting into his truck on June 6, 2021.
He admitted that the idea of massacring Muslims occurred to him on two separate occasions after taking the drugs, but he resisted it.
But when he saw Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha Salman, 44, his daughter Yumna Afzaal, 15, and his 73-year-old grandmother, Talat Afzaal, 74, enjoying an evening stroll together in London, Ont. , couldn’t stop, he said.
Nathaniel Vetlman, 22, an alleged white nationalist, is on trial in Canada for an accident in June 2021 that killed four members of a Muslim family. (From left to right) Yumna Afzaal, Madiha Salman, Talat Afzaal and Salman Afzaal were killed in the attack. Afzaal’s 9-year-old son (far left) survived. twitter
Veltman previously said he was in a “dreamlike state” at the time of the accident, which also seriously injured Salman Afzaal’s 9-year-old son.
The jury also heard from forensic psychiatrist Julian Gojer, who said Veltman has been diagnosed with several mental health problems, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, major depression, anxiety and a personality disorder.
Gojer testified that the psychedelic mushroom likely further degraded Veltman’s mental health problems.
Defense attorney Christopher Hicks said during closing arguments that his client’s condition at the time of the incident was like “a runaway freight train heading toward an explosion.”
Prosecutors said Veltman, pictured left, was wearing a bulletproof vest and a military helmet at the time of the attack, and proclaimed that he “did it on purpose.” AP
Veltman has pleaded not guilty to four counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, as well as multiple counts of terrorism stemming from prosecutors’ claim that the attack was motivated by the defendant’s white nationalist beliefs.
The jury was shown video from the crash scene, which showed Veltman wearing a bulletproof vest and a military helmet at the time of his arrest.
A passerby claimed he saw Veltman laughing as police officers arrived and removed him from his blood-spattered van.
When interviewed by detectives, the suspect, then 20 years old, identified himself as a white nationalist and said he had beaten the family “because they were Muslim.”
Madiha Salman, a mother of two, was 44 years old when she died. Facebook/Madiha Salman
Prosecutors also played in court a recording of the 911 call made by Vetlman after the collision, in which he could be heard saying, “come and arrest me, I did it on purpose.”
Federal prosecutor Sarah Shaikh said at the start of the trial that Veltman planned his attack for three months before driving his newly purchased Dodge Ram pickup truck “full-stop” directly toward the Muslim family strolling on the sidewalk.
Shaikh said Veltman told detectives after he was arrested that his intentions were political, that he left his home on the day of the attack looking for Muslims to kill and that he used a truck to send a message to others that vehicles can be used to attack. Muslims.
Veltman’s defense argued that he made those statements under duress, but a prosecutor maintained that his confession was “logical and coherent.”
Friends of Yumnah Afzaal hold signs before a vigil. AFP via Getty Images
“He hit exactly who he wanted, exactly how he wanted,” said Crown attorney Fraser Ball.
Veltman faces life in prison if convicted of the charges against him.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn