Detective testifies he had no concerns about 'mental status' of accused killer of London, Ont., Muslim family
Kate Dubinski | CBC News | Posted: September 19, 2023 10:43 PM | Last Updated: September 19, 2023
Micah Bourdeau interviewed accused on 2 separate occasions after June 6, 2021, attack on Afzaals
Warning: This story contains disturbing details:
The detective who interviewed Nathaniel Veltman in the hours after a Muslim family was struck by his pickup truck in London, Ont., in June 2021 testified Tuesday he had no concerns about the accused killer's mental health.
London police Det. Micah Bourdeau was cross-examined Tuesday at the 22-year-old's murder-terror trial in Ontario Superior Court in Windsor. He told defence lawyer Chris Hicks that he wasn't worried about the accused's assertions about being "shaky," "shaken up" and "in shock."
"I would have been more worried if he wasn't shaken up," Bourdeau said during his second day in the witness box.
Veltman is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder as well as associated terrorism charges. Five members of the Afzaal family were on an evening stroll on June 6, 2021, when they were struck by the accused's truck.
Yumnah Afzaal, 15, her parents, Madiha Salman, 44, and Salman Afzaal, 46, and family matriarch Talat Afzaal, 74, were killed. A boy who was nine years old at the time survived.
Earlier in the trial, the Crown and defence lawyers agreed on a number of facts that won't be argued, including that the accused drove the black Dodge Ram pickup truck into the family.
Prosecutors allege the Afzaals were targeted because they were wearing traditional Pakistani clothing and were Muslim, and the accused was motivated by far-right nationalist ideology. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his defence lawyers are taking issue with how he was treated after his arrest, first in police cells and then while being interviewed by Bourdeau.
Mental health of suspect questioned
Under cross-examination Tuesday, Bourdeau said he "didn't have any concerns" about the accused.
"He did say he was a little shaky out of shock, but he said he's fine. I had no concerns about his mental status."
"He told you, 'I didn't enjoy it, I need some time to come to grips with myself.' Is that not a clear sign of his mental status?" Hicks asked.
"To me, considering the events of the day, that seemed normal," the detective replied.
Bourdeau interviewed the accused twice after his arrest — once on the night of the attack and into the early-morning hours, and again about 9:30 am ET on June 7, 2021.
Police video footage of the interviews has been entered as evidence in court. Earlier in the trial, video viewed by the jury shows the accused pacing in his cell while in custody after the attack.
WATCH | WARNING: Police video footage shows accused in jail cell:
In the first interview with the detective, the accused goes on what he calls a "rant" about crimes he perceives are perpetrated by minorities against white people, about the dishonesty of the media and the inability of "Western governments" to allow people with nationalist views to express themselves.
In the second interview, Veltman is more subdued.
Hicks suggested to Bourdeau that it is police protocol to keep accused people cold, hungry and uncomfortable, a suggestion Bourdeau has denied.
Proceedings in the trial, which is expected to last eight weeks, began Sept. 11.