Spotlight on Canada's terror laws at trial of man found guilty in London, Ont., attack
A landmark trial that put Canada's terrorism laws in the spotlight has culminated in a guilty verdict, but what role terror allegations played in the jury's decision to convict Nathaniel Veltman in a deadly attack on a Muslim family will remain a mystery.
Jurors on Thursday found the 22-year-old Veltman guilty of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder for hitting the Afzaal family with his truck while they were out for a walk in London, Ont., on June 6, 2021.
- Read more: Nathaniel Veltman guilty of all charges
The judge overseeing the trial, Justice Renee Pomerance, had instructed the jury they could deliver a first-degree murder verdict if they unanimously agreed that the Crown established Veltman had intended to kill the victims, and planned and deliberated his attack.
She also told the jurors they could reach a first-degree murder conviction if they found that the killings were terrorist activity.
Juries do not provide details on how they reach their decisions, nor can they be questioned on the matter.
However, judges in jury trials typically make findings of fact as part of the sentencing process, and Pomerance is likely to weigh in on the terror aspect at that time.
“The judge can take her own view of the facts,” Veltman's lawyer, Christopher Hicks, said Thursday after the verdict.
“The jury's decision doesn't say whether they found him guilty of first-degree murder according to the Criminal Code, planning and deliberation, or because of the terrorism allegation - we don't know and we can't ask the jury any questions, so we'll see what the judge says at the sentencing.”
A finding of terrorist activity wouldn't affect the penalty for first-degree murder, which automatically carries a sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years, Hicks said. Rather, the defence lawyer said he suspected it would be raised as a potential aggravating factor for the attempted murder conviction.
The case, which played out in a Windsor, Ont., courtroom, was the first where Canada's terrorism laws were put before a jury in a first-degree murder trial.
It's also the only murder case so far involving terror allegations on the basis of an association with white supremacy, and one of a few recent terror-related cases where someone is accused of planning and executing their actions alone, rather than as part of a group such as ISIS, said Michael Nesbitt, an associate professor at the University of Calgary who specializes in anti-terrorism and national security laws.
The Veltman trial, along with a small handful of others, is likely to force the courts to confront the terror law's lack of clear definition of what constitutes ideology, a key element of terrorism, and address what kind of evidence is needed to prove ideology when someone isn't connected to a particular group, he said.
However, the fact that Veltman's case was heard by a jury rather than a judge alone complicates things slightly, he said.
“You're not going to get the written reasons for (the verdict), which tends to be where we'd look for a lot of the details that would provide us with the precedential value,” he said.
“You're not going get the 50-page written opinion connecting the evidence to the various elements of the offence like you would with a judge, so it's going to be harder to parse. But you are going to be able to hear what the judge says along the way, which will help provide some detail.”
He said some information can generally be drawn from a judge's instructions to the jury on the elements of the offences, and possibly at the appeal level down the line if those instructions are deemed to have been flawed.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 17, 2023.
IN DEPTH
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6922467.1718138898!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6850735.1713368648!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6965695.1721147170!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
BREAKING Portions of DVP and Lake Shore Boulevard closed amid significant flooding in Toronto, 125 mm of rain possible
There have been widespread reports of flooding in the Greater Toronto Area, with Environment Canada now saying that up to 125 millimetres of rain could eventually fall.
Police had clues that something was amiss before the Trump rally shooting
Here's a look at what we know so far about the attempt on Donald Trump's life and its aftermath.
Canada's premiers reassess their protective detail following Trump assassination attempt
Although it’s not an official agenda item at the meeting of Canada’s premiers in Halifax this week, the provincial leaders are sharing concerns about the assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump and reassessing the level of protection needed to keep themselves safe.
Jack Black's band cancels tour after backlash to bandmate's comment on Trump assassination attempt
Jack Black’s comedy rock band Tenacious D has cancelled its remaining tour dates after band member Kyle Gass sparked a backlash with an apparent joke about Saturday’s assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Inflation falls to 2.7% in June, driven by slower growth in gas prices: StatCan
Canada's annual inflation rate fell to 2.7 per cent in June, with Statistics Canada largely attributing the deceleration to slower year-over-year growth in gasoline prices.
A North Korean diplomat in Cuba defected to South Korea in November, a possible blow to leader Kim
South Korea's spy agency said Tuesday that a senior North Korea diplomat based in Cuba has fled to South Korea, the latest defection by members of the North's ruling elite that likely hurt leader Kim Jong Un's push to bolster his leadership.
Father and daughter found dead at Canyonlands National Park after getting lost, running out of water in triple digit heat
A Wisconsin man and his daughter were found dead in Canyonlands National Park in Utah on Friday after the pair got lost and ran out of water while hiking amid soaring temperatures.
Ingrid Andress: What to know about the latest singer with a notable national anthem performance
Yet another performer has learned that singing 'The Star Spangled-Banner' is not easy. Country music artist Ingrid Andress performed the national anthem on Monday at 2024 Home Run Derby. She made some choices. It was notable, but probably not the way Andress intended.
Republican convention focuses on immigration a day after a bandaged Trump makes triumphant entrance
Immigration takes centre stage as the Republican National Convention resumes Tuesday, with speakers spotlighting a key issue for President Donald Trump that helped endear him to the GOP base when he began his first campaign in 2015.
Local Spotlight
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6964847.1721081918!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Edmonton man contributes thousands of photos to Google while dressed as an alien
One of Edmonton’s main contributors to Google Street View is a man who dresses up as an alien.
Nearly 10 years after it was first pitched, Vancouverites can climb the stairway to nowhere
Nearly 10 years after it was first proposed, an interactive piece of public art is officially open in Vancouver's Hastings Park.
Sudbury's Big Nickel celebrates its 60th birthday
An event July 22 at Dynamic Earth in Sudbury will mark the 60th anniversary of the iconic Big Nickel, the largest coin in the world.
Cyclist riding across Canada for children's charity stops in Montreal
Cyclist Jagjeet Singh cruised through Montreal on Sunday morning as he rides across the country to raise money for a children's charity.
Rare marine fossil found in eastern Saskatchewan
A rare ammonite fossil – about 75 million years old - has been discovered in eastern Saskatchewan.
Ontario dad highlights Calgary Flames' act of kindness
Seven-year-old goalie Hudson Hardill is an unlikely Calgary Flames fan, being that he lives in Peterborough, Ont., and his dad Chris is a Toronto Maple Leafs fan.
'I nearly died': WestJet employee and Spice Girls superfan dances with Mel C
A WestJet employee's chance encounter on a recent flight spiced up her life in a big way.
He thought his gnomes were stolen. But then a secret society returned them
A Kelowna, B.C., man says he's always liked gnomes because they have a 'bit of mystery' to them. And he recently got a taste of that whimsy when his garden gnomes disappeared, and came back to him in a peculiar fashion.
Toronto's iconic 'Leslieville dollhouse' set to hit the market on Thursday
After more than 50 years, Toronto's iconic 'Leslieville dollhouse' will soon have a new owner.