Veltman continues to dismiss his confessions to police

WARNING: The details in this article and videos may be disturbing to some viewers

The accused in a terrorism trial in Windsor returned to the stand for a sixth day Thursday.

Nathaniel Veltman, 22, has already admitted to the jury he drove his pickup truck into the Afzaal family in June 2021 in London, Ont.

He has also pleaded not guilty to all charges including terrorism-motivated first-degree murder and terrorism-motivated attempted murder.

In his two statements to police, less than 24 hours after the attack, Veltman admitted not only to his actions but laid out the reasons for them, including wanting to avenge alleged minority on white crimes he believed were going unreported in the mainstream media.

Veltman also told police he believed white people were being “replaced” because western countries were allowing “mass immigration” at a time of declining domestic birth rates.

Thursday, in cross-examination by assistant Crown attorney Jennifer Moser, Veltman was asked about his understanding of terrorism.

“I’m going to suggest to you sir, your end goal in all of this was to overthrow western governments,” Moser said to Veltman.

“Crashing into Muslims does not overthrow governments,” he replied.

Veltman denies now that he started planning his attack as early as March 2021, although that is what he told police.

The jury has also learned Veltman ordered a bulletproof vest and military-style helmet online a few months before the attack and he took possession of a pickup truck in mid-May.

He’s also testified he had a “grill guard” or “push bar” installed on his truck less than a week before the attack.

“You knew you committed a terrorist attack on June 6, 2021, in your mind, sir,” Moser said.

Veltman responded, “I knew how extreme the event was when he [Det. Bourdeau] told me four people were killed.”

The jury has heard a lot of evidence about Veltman consuming psilocybin, commonly known as magic mushrooms, approximately 40 hours before the attack.

Thursday on the stand he told the jury, “I wasn’t still high when this event took place” after Moser suggested “it was when you came out of your mushroom high you realized you wanted to commit a terrorist attack.

Veltman said he wasn’t sure how far he “wanted to go” to rid himself of his obsessive thoughts of hateful content online.

The jury was asked to leave the courtroom Thursday after Moser started to go into a mental assessment of Veltman after he was charged.

The legal arguments that ensued are subject to a publication ban because they were heard in the absence of the jury.

When the jury returned Thursday afternoon, Veltman was asked about statements he allegedly said to Dr. Julian Gojer, a forensic psychologist the defence has already told the jury they intend to call as a witness.

Moser pointed out for the jury, in his numerous appointments with the doctor, Veltman makes no reference to leaving his apartment for food nor does he mention trying to avoid the family at the last second.

Moser also read some of Veltman’s alleged statements to the doctor including, “I wanted to hurt or kill an adult Muslim, not a child.”

In court Thursday, Veltman denied it was a direct quote but rather believed the doctor was summarizing Veltman’s thoughts.

Veltman will return to testify Friday for his seventh court day in the witness box.