Alarm bells: Defence grills London detective for second day in Windsor terrorism trial

Nathaniel Veltman has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder, even though the jury heard him admit to the crimes in a video-taped police statement.

For a second day, defence lawyer Christopher Hicks questioned Det. Micah Bourdeau, the investigator who conducted two interviews with Veltman — one in the early morning hours of June 7, 2021 and another one conducted mid-morning.

At 8:40 p.m. on June 6, 2021, a pickup truck drove into the Afzaal family while they waited at a cross walk on Hyde Park Road and South Carriage Road in west London, Ont.

Four members of the family died — grandmother Talat, her son Salman, his wife Madiha, and their daughter Yumnah. A nine-year-old boy survived his injuries.

Hicks questioned why there was an "urgency" in interviewing his client in the early morning hours of June 7.

He also asked if Bourdeau had any concerns about Veltman's state of mind at the time of the interviews.

Over the course of the interviews, Veltman referenced previous bouts of depression and suicidal thoughts, that he felt "lousy" the day of the attack, that he was shocked by his actions, and that he was in turmoil.

Hicks believes the cumulative references to feeling lousy, poor mental health in the past and being upset after the attack should have been “alarm bells” to police that Veltman wasn't in a good mental state at the time of the interview.

Bourdeau however disagreed.

"I had no concerns about his state of mind," he testified.

Veltman also told Bourdeau he wasn't happy with the advice he got from duty counsel.

In the second interview, previously heard by the jury, Veltman declined to answer numerous questions by Bourdeau until he could speak to a lawyer.

And yet when Bourdeau asked if Veltman was ready to talk to a lawyer, on numerous occasions, Veltman said "eventually.”

The jury was excused late Tuesday until Thursday morning to accommodate a previously scheduled medical appointment for one of the jurors on Wednesday.

The lawyers and judge will spend the day in legal arguments that are not reportable by the media.