Juror released from Veltman trial for COVID diagnosis

The jury hearing the case against Nathaniel Veltman, 22, is now down to 13 members after a juror was released from Windsor’s Superior Court Monday morning.

Veltman is charged with four counts of terrorism-motivated first-degree murder and one count of terrorism-motivated attempted murder for the June 2021 attack on the Afzaal family in London, Ont.

Four family members (Grandmother Talat, her son Salman, his wife Madiha and their teenage daughter Yumnah) were killed while their son, now 11 years old, survived his injuries.

Justice Renee Pomerance told the jury the sick juror cannot return until they test negative, and since they don’t know how long that will take, the juror was removed.

This is the start of the ninth week for the trial, the eighth week of evidence.

The case remains in the hands of the defence, who brought forensic psychiatrist Dr. Julian Gojer back to testify again Monday.

Gojer first started late in the day on Oct. 24, and he has been testifying off and on ever since.

Gojer has been testifying about the mental illnesses Veltman suffers from, including depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, autism spectrum disorder, depression, complex trauma disorder, anxiety and personality disorder.

He is also offering advice about the impact of psilocybin usage on those illnesses.

Dr. Gojer says the hallucinogenic drug can make feelings stronger – be they happy or sad.

The jury has heard evidence Veltman consumed three grams of psilocybin around 3 a.m. on June 5, 2021.

The Afzaal family was struck and killed on the evening of June 6, 2021.