Man Who Killed Muslim Family in Ontario to Be Sentenced in January
Nathaniel Veltman was convicted on Nov. 16 of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. He faces life in prison with no chance of parole for at least 25 years.
The sentencing hearing will take place on Jan. 4 and 5 in London Superior Court before Justice Renee Pomerance, who presided over the 11-week trial in Windsor, also in southwestern Ontario, CBC News reported on Friday.
The hearing will include victim impact statements and findings of fact from Pomerance, who will decide whether the crime was a terrorist act.
Veltman admitted that he deliberately drove his black pickup truck into the Afzaal family, who were out for a walk on a suburban street. He said he targeted them because of their Islamic faith and the traditional Pakistani clothes the two women were wearing.
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He killed Yumnah Afzaal, 15, her parents, Salman Afzaal, 36, and Madiha Afzaal, 44, and her grandmother, Talat Afzaal, 72. He also injured her nine-year-old brother, who survived the attack.
The attack sparked outrage and calls for Canadians to address Islamophobia. The trial was held in Windsor, starting on Sept. 11, to ensure a fair trial, but the sentencing will be in London at the request of the surviving family members.
Veltman's lawyers have said they will argue against labelling him a terrorist.
Source: Agencies
