Nathaniel Veltman's defense lawyers are focusing on what was happening inside of his brain when he hit five members of the London Muslim community with his truck on June 6, 2021.
Veltman has admitted in this trial that he deliberately used his pick up truck to hit Talat Afzaal, 74, her son Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha Salman, 44, and their daughter Yumnah, 15. They were all killed. Salman and Madiha's son, who was nine at the time of the attack, survived the collision.
The defence witness, Dr. Julien Gojer, spent most of Wednesday morning's testimony going over his lengthy list of qualifications with Veltman's lawyer, Christopher Hicks.
Gojer is a forensic psychiatrist who examined Veltman on several occasions, in the aftermath of him hitting the Afzaal family, during the trial, and at several points in-between.
However, he will only testify about hallucinogens, such as magic mushrooms, and the effect they have on human behaviour. Statements Veltman made to Dr. Gojer are also not admissible as evidence for the jurors to consider in their deliberations.
The latter portion of the morning was spent dealing with legal arguments that occurred with the jury out of the courtroom.
Those arguments are subject to a publication ban.
Gojer continued by outlining for the jury what a psychiatrist does and noted that he's been qualified as an expert in hundreds of Canadian legal cases.
He noted that he considered issues such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, and depression as mental illnesses.
Gojer classified Post Traumatic Stress Disorder the same way.
"Did Mr. Veltman have a mental illness?" Hicks asked Gojer, who said yes.
"More than one?" Hicks followed. Gojer agreed to that as well.
"Did you witness [Veltman's] testimony?" Hicks asked, which Gojer noted that he had, over Zoom.
Gojer used that, and his interviews, to form the basis for his diagnosis, he testified.
"He had brief psychotic experience in the past," Gojer said of Veltman. "Some of his beliefs were of delusional intensity."
"In the time that I interviewed Mr. Veltman, I did not see him as being psychotic," Gojer added.
Gojer also noted that Veltman claims that both his parents had dealt with mental illness, and that Veltman was a bed wetter as a child, which could be linked to mental health issues.
An MRI scan of Veltman's brain came back "normal," Gojer added.
The trial resumes at 10 a.m. Thursday morning.
Gojer will still be on the stand.
