Man accused of killing Muslim family in London felt like he had nothing left to lose | Accused of attack on London Muslim family stands trial

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Nathaniel Veltman was the first witness called to the stand by the defense at his murder trial.

• Katherine Brulotte (View profile)Katherine Brulotte

The day after his grandmother's death and a day before mowing down the Afzaal family, Nathaniel Veltman says he consumed three grams of magic mushrooms to escape the “spiral of paranoia” that occupied his entire life.

< p class="StyledBodyHtmlParagraph-sc-48221190-4 hNZoeU">Nathaniel Veltman said he experienced difficult months before the events that led to his arrest. In his testimony at the terrorism-related murder trial in Windsor, the 22-year-old man described having suicidal thoughts in the days leading up to June 6, 2021.

Questioned by his lawyer Christopher Hicks, he claimed that he had consumed a large dose of mushrooms which he had obtained from a friend . He claimed on the witness stand that it was a way for him to escape.

According to his testimony, his descent into paranoia accelerated in the months leading up to it. He claims that he alternated between bouts of debauchery during which he consumed alcohol, drugs and pornography, then felt the need to turn to the religious beliefs he had been taught since then. childhood.

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Accused of attack on Muslim family in London faces trial

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He told jurors that during his episodes of fanaticism, he ruined his relationships by preaching, he purged his house of all temptation, by throwing away example food and destroying electronic devices.

He also used applications to try to block his electronic devices' access to certain sites that spread conspiracy theories, among other things, but always ended up bypassing or uninstalling them.

He even said he tried to castrate himself by stabbing his own genitals. A gesture that would have led him to the hospital on one occasion to receive emergency care.

After two suicide attempts, he would have felt that he had nothing more to lose. My suicidal thoughts metamorphosed, he said, into a desire to commit violent acts.

He says his obsessions were mostly with sites showing violent events, dark satire and burlesque illustrations. I was attracted to everything on the margins, he said.

Attracted by the ideas of the extreme right, he claims to have been gradually desensitized and to have sought out increasingly violent content.

His testimony is scheduled to continue next week. The defense announced that a psychiatrist specializing in forensic medicine will later testify.

The latter, Dr. Julien Gauger, actively listened to the accused's testimony, according to defense lawyer Peter Ketcheson.

He will be asked to comment on his remarks, said the lawyer.

Nathaniel Veltman pleaded not guilty to the charges of premeditated murder in circumstances of terrorism and attempted murder against him.

• Katherine Brulotte (View profile)Katherine BrulotteFollow