No evidence Wednesday in ongoing terrorism trial in Windsor

The 13-member jury hearing the case against Nathaniel Veltman was not even called to Superior court on Wednesday.

Lawyers and the judge are in legal arguments in the absence of the jury.

As a result, the content of the discussions are subject to a publication ban until the jury reaches a verdict.

After the trial, the media is at liberty to report details the jury didn't hear.

The jury has been asked to return Thursday for the continuation of the trial against Veltman, 22, charged with four counts of terrorism-motivated first-degree murder and one count of terrorism-motivated attempted murder.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges but has also admitted to the jury he drove his pickup truck into the Afzaal family in London, Ont. on June 6, 2021.

Four members of their family — grandmother Talat, her son Salman, his wife Madiha and their teenage daughter Yumnah — all died while their son, now 11, survived serious injuries.

When the jury was selected, jurors were told the trial would require 12 weeks to complete.

When evidence started however, on Monday Sept. 11, the jury learned that was cut down to eight weeks.

This week, is now the ninth week of court time; the eighth week of evidence.

The case is now in the hands of the defence, which has already called Veltman to testify on his own behalf.

Since Oct. 24, Dr. Julian Gojer has been testifying for the defence about Veltman’s mental illnesses and the effect of psilocybin usage on those illnesses.