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Canadian man who killed a Muslim family has been sentenced to life in prison. The attack, which took place in June 2021 in London, Ontario, was also deemed an act of terrorism by the Ontario Superior Court, Radio Canada reported on Thursday.
Nathaniel Veltman, 23, drove his truck into the Afzaal family as they were walking in their neighborhood, killing Madiha Salman, 44, her husband Salman Afzaal, 46, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna, and her grandmother Talat Afzaal. The couple's son was seriously injured.
The judge, Renee Pomerance, ruled that Veltman must serve 25 years before being eligible for parole. She also determined that he must serve the same sentence for the attempted murder of the injured child, the same source added.
The Crown had sought a life sentence for the attempted murder, while the defense argued for a 10-year sentence. Veltman's lawyer, Christopher Hicks, said he considered the life sentence to be excessive.
Prosecutor Sarah Shaikh argued that Veltman had a hateful, intolerant, and Islamophobic ideology. She said that the attack targeted not only the family, but also the entire Muslim community.
Tabinda Bukhari, the mother of Madiha Salman, said that the sentence imposed by the judge would not bring back what was lost to the family. She also said that the trial was not just about one act, but a reminder of the fault lines that exist in our society.
The judge announced at the outset of her sentencing decision that Veltman had left his apartment on the evening of June 6, 2021 with the intention of killing Muslims.
She noted that he was a heavy consumer of far-right content on the internet and of white supremacist manifestos. The Crown argued during the trial that Veltman was a white supremacist who planned to commit a violent act. The judge said that Veltman wanted to inspire other acts of violence. Veltman remained impassible as the decision was read.
