'I didn't have much to lose,' accused killer says after striking Muslim family with pickup truck

Kate Dubinski · CBC News

· Posted: Sep 18, 2023 7:17 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

More than 12 hours aft a Muslim household was struck by a motortruck successful London, Ont., connected June 6, 2021, their accused slayer sat shivering successful a constabulary interrogation room, telling a detective helium didn't have particularly beardown connections with anyone successful his life. 

The murder-terror proceedings of Nathaniel Veltman in Ontario Superior Court successful Windsor is in its 2nd week. On Monday, the jury watched a constabulary video of the accused speaking to London police Det. Micah Bourdeau the greeting aft the attack.

Bourdeau was successful the witnesser container Monday arsenic the video was playing.

In the video, the accused says, "I would accidental I didn't consciousness similar I had overmuch to suffer astatine all. If I did, I wouldn't person done it due to the fact that determination would person been idiosyncratic else, but I didn't have overmuch to lose."

Veltman said helium spent a batch of clip connected the net doing "research" astir what helium called media dishonesty and the relation of Western governments in covering up crimes committed by minorities against achromatic people. Even online, the accused said, helium didn't interact with radical who shared his views due to the fact that helium was disquieted astir being enactment connected a authorities ticker list. 

"I was precise paranoid astir the feds," helium told the detective. 

Veltman, 22, is charged with 4 counts of first-degree execution and 1 number of attempted murder, arsenic good arsenic associated panic charges. He has pleaded not guilty. 

Yumnah Afzaal, 15, her parents, Madiha Salman, 44, and Salman Afzaal, 46, and household matriarch Talat Afzaal, 74, were killed. A lad who was nine years aged astatine the time survived. 

Prosecutors allege they were targeted due to the fact that they were wearing accepted Pakistani covering and were Muslim.

Bourdeau had interviewed the accused — the detective balked erstwhile defence lawyer Christopher Hicks suggested it was an interrogation — 2 abstracted times pursuing the attack: for astir 2½ hours until adjacent to 4 a.m., and again starting astatine astir 9:30 a.m. 

Questioned astir wherefore the interrogation was truthful urgent fixed the accused was successful custody and his motortruck was secured, Bourdeau said it was intolerable to archer if Veltman had been moving with anyone oregon what other the accused whitethorn person been planning. 

WATCH | WARNING: Video shown at murder-terror proceedings contains graphic content: 

"Our metropolis has ne'er seen thing similar this and I would task to accidental we didn't cognize what precisely we were dealing with," Bourdeau told Hicks nether cross-examination. "We didn't cognize what we didn't know. We didn't cognize if determination was further information to the public, and I and the investigative squad felt that it was imperative to find that retired arsenic soon arsenic possible."

Bourdeau denied Hicks's suggestions that the overnight interrogation was an effort to support the accused "as uncomfortable arsenic possible: giving [those successful custody] no food, nary water, a cement bed, support them cold." 

"Whether helium was exhausted oregon afraid, that was not by my design. I spoke to him past due to the fact that I thought it was urgent to bash so," the detective testified.

He said helium repeatedly asked the accused if helium needed thing to devour oregon drink, and during the 2nd interrogation brought him a blanket, which tin beryllium seen connected the interrogation video played for the jury. 

Being successful constabulary custody brought a "huge consciousness of relief," the accused told the detective. 

"I went done with it — it's over. I'm going to jailhouse now. It's done. I'm relieved that I yet did it, that I followed done with it," helium said. "At archetypal I felt sick, I ever consciousness sick, due to the fact that it wasn't a precise pleasurable happening to do, but the information that I had followed done was a relief. But still, it doesn't look real."   

Veltman confirmed to Bourdeau that the 1 person helium had was Muslim. That baffled the detective, who said helium was confused however helium could beryllium friends with a Muslim idiosyncratic and besides acceptable retired to termination radical who travel Islam. 

"He's secular," the accused explained astir his friend. "And I uncertainty helium wants thing to bash with maine now, but yeah, he's astir apt the closest person I've ever had. He technically comes from a Muslim household but he's not truly Muslim." 

T-shirt taken arsenic evidence

A constabulary video of an interrogation earlier connected the nighttime helium was arrested was played to the assemblage past week. In it, the accused appears assured and blessed to speech astir his motivations for sidesplitting the family, including revenge and to nonstop a informing to others who practise Islam. 

By the 2nd interview, astatine astir 10 a.m., he's acold and sits hunched over, often hugging himself. He tells the officer, "I consciousness similar I'm having a dream. 

"Look, I didn't privation to bash this — I conscionable felt similar I had to," he tells Bourdeau. "This was very, very, precise distasteful, but I conscionable felt similar it was the lone mode I could nonstop the connection I had to send. I felt similar I had nary different option." 

Eventually, the T-shift he's wearing, which is achromatic and spray painted with a ample achromatic cross, is taken arsenic evidence. The accused told the detective the garment is simply a joke, meant to look similar a "crusader shirt." 

He besides told Bourdeau helium made a constituent to flash the "OK" motion with his manus erstwhile helium was arrested, a benign awesome that successful immoderate circles has travel to symbolize achromatic power. 

"It was a palmy troll," helium explained. "The anserine liberals telephone everything racist each time each day, and radical thought, 'I stake we tin marque them deliberation the OK symbol is racist,' and it worked." 

He noted helium doesn't usage the word achromatic powerfulness due to the fact that helium doesn't privation to "enslave the Blacks," but rather, helium wants "ethnic autonomy" and to "not springiness implicit everything to minorities." 

Bourdeau's cross-examination by the defence is expected to proceed connected Tuesday.