Judge rules convicted killer of London, Ont., Muslim family committed terrorism
CBC
Warning: This story contains distressing details.
Superior Court Justice Renee Pomerance refused to say Nathaniel Veltman's name, but said his actions on June 6, 2021, when he deliberately drove his truck into the Afzaal family in London, Ont., were terrorism as defined under Canadian law.
"I have chosen not to name the offender nor share the hateful things he shared with police or in his manifesto. This is because his actions constitute terrorist activity," Pomerance said.
"There is no place in Canadian society for the hatred and racism that spawned the offender's actions. Because they have no place in Canadian society, they will not be given a place in my reasons."
Veltman, now 23, was found guilty in November 2023 on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder by a Windsor, Ont., jury.
The first-degree murder conviction carries an automatic sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years, but it was up to Pomerance to determine what facts presented at trial the jury used to arrive at their verdict, and whether his actions constituted terrorism.
Pomerance rejected the man's attempt to "distance himself" from his white supremacist motivations at trial.
"On June 6, 2021, five members of the Afzaal family went for a walk on a warm summer evening. Neither they nor anyone else could have anticipated the terrible fate that awaited them," she said.
"He stopped to put on combat gear, a military helmet and a bulletproof vest. He drove until he spied the Afzaal family. He believed them to be Muslim based on the clothing they wore. He drove by the family of five, stopped and then turned around, drove towards them, drove into the victims at full speed without touching the brakes.
"This event sent ripples of fear and devastation throughout the London community and beyond. He killed them because they were Muslim."
The Crown's case was overwhelming, Pomerance said.
More to come. Previous story below.
The judge overseeing the case of a man convicted of killing a London, Ont., family in 2021 because of their Muslim faith will rule today whether his actions amounted to terrorism in handing down Nathaniel Veltman's final sentence.
In November, a jury found Veltman, 23, guilty of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder after a 10-week trial in Windsor. He attacked the Afzaal family with his pickup truck on June 6, 2021, while they were out for a walk in London, and later told police he wanted to send a message to Muslims.
A holiday event that began in 2020 during the pandemic with three floats on pickup trucks has now become one of Kelowna’s big winter events, drawing thousands to the city’s downtown core.
WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse.
It’s been hard to keep track of how many legal challenges and active court proceedings the United Conservative government has tried to quash or pre-emptively block in the last six weeks, but let’s try to tally:
Margaret Walker, the emcee of a Waterloo vigil commemorating the victims of the Montreal massacre, doesn't feel enough is being done to reflect on the killings and address gender-based violence.
The P.E.I. Humane Society says it is doing far more fundraising than it used to, and rising expenses — including the cost of animal medications — are a big reason why.
Ottawa is staring down a court-ordered deadline to submit a new plan to reform the on-reserve child welfare system, as a group of First Nations leaders and children’s advocates prepare a competing proposal.
An underpass revitalization project that was meant to pay tribute to the people of Parkdale has instead deteriorated into “a garbage dump,” according to nearby residents.
A young man has been charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm after a fire at a frat party near Western University that injured five sorority sisters, including two seriously, late Tuesday night.
The massive deal to combine one of Hollywood's oldest studios with a streaming giant hasn't even been approved yet, but it's already riling multiple related industries and politicians concerned about monopolies and media concentration.
Mi'kmaq chiefs and a former Nova Scotia justice minister are criticizing the provincial government for directing police to crack down on illegal cannabis, saying the order undermines relations with Indigenous Peoples.
For years, there has been “glaring inequity” in the way the province has allocated the millions of dollars in its county roads budget, according to Department of Transportation Minister Chuck Chiasson.
Six months after passing a law aimed at making it easier for new grocery stores to open, Manitoba's premier says lower grocery bills could be on the horizon.
Timothy Smith was acting in self-defence when he punched Landon Waddell, and shouldn't be found guilty of manslaughter, his lawyer says.