The parents of three children who died next to their cousin after being hit by a drunk and drugged driver in west Sydney have ruled after the driver’s sentence was reduced on appeal.
Brothers Abdallah, Antony, Sienna and Angelina and their cousin Veronique Sakr died in February 2020 when Samuel Davidson ran over them on a road as they walked to get ice cream in the Oatlands.
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He pleaded guilty to the murder of the four children, as well as other charges, and was sentenced to a maximum of 28 years in prison, with a 21-year probation period.
On Friday, following an appeal, the maximum sentence was reduced to eight years, to 20 years, with a 15-year probation period.
He will now be entitled to parole in January 2035.
Father Danny Abdallah said his children felt “angry and upset” after learning that the sentence had been reduced.
Victims of the Oatlands crash, from left, Veronique, Sienna, Antony and Angelina. Credit: supplied
“It’s okay to feel angry and upset,” he told reporters Friday.
“At the end of the day, I will not get my children back.
“We cannot change the past, but what it does is set a precedent.
“It’s not good for our community, it’s giving them permission to use drugs, alcohol and tell them … you may be two and a half years old as a child.
“Fifteen years, I don’t think it’s very much based on what happened.”
Leila and Danny Abdallah. Archive image. Credit: Joel Carrett / AAP
Mother Leila added that as the family tried to move forward with their grief, the development brought them to the day of the tragedy.
“I was surprised, I didn’t expect that phrase,” Leila said.
“We’ve really forgiven (Davidson).
“We can’t control what happened, but we can choose how we respond.”
Veronique’s mother, Bridget Sakr, said the reduction in the sentence was “unfair.”
“We have always said that forgiveness and justice are two different things,” he said.
“Apparently it was an overwhelming phrase, but it was our children who were crushed.”
At the time of his initial sentencing, Judge James Bennett said Davidson’s threatening, dangerous and aggressive driving showed that all responsibility for the safety of others had been abandoned.
Tragedy was inevitable, but the magnitude of the tragedy extended to the unimaginable, Judge Bennett said.
The shock
On the night of February 1, 2020, Antony, Angelina and Sienna’s father, Danny Abdallah, had given the children permission to go alone for an ice cream, giving them the first taste of independence. .
Shortly afterwards, a Davidson-led ute – which was under the influence of drugs and alcohol – got on the road and hit the group.
Danny and his wife Leila ran to the site to find that their children had been murdered.
“What should have been an innocent and enjoyable outing for young children became one of the worst road tragedies Australia has ever seen,” Danny told the Vatican World Meeting of Families last month.
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“From afar, I saw the police cover Antony, Angelina, Sienna and Veronique with a white sheet. They were gone. ”
Leila, who had arrived at the scene but went to the hospital with her eldest daughter Liana, realized that half of her family was dead when her husband later arrived at the hospital with three priests.
He had the impression that his other children would also be taken to the hospital.
“I was crying, yelling and begging that it wasn’t true,” he said.
The Abdallah family. Credit: Supplied An makeshift monument was installed at the crash site. Credit: 7NEWS
In the days following the tragedy, the family made headlines around the world when Leila said she forgave the driver.
“Forgiveness is a sign of strength, not weakness,” he said last month.
“Forgiveness has brought us healing and peace.”
Since the accident, the family has taken in a seventh child, a girl named Selina.