Oatlands crash driver Samuel Davidson appeals sentence

A drunk and drugged driver who killed four Sydney children is appealing against his “crushing” 28-year prison sentence.

A man who killed four children while high on drugs has raised an unusual excuse while trying to get his jail sentence reduced.

Samuel William Davidson pleaded guilty to four counts of manslaughter after he caused the deaths of three Abdallah siblings — Antony, 11, Angelina, 12 and Sienna, 9 — and their cousin Veronique Sakr, 11, at Oatlands in Sydney’s north west in February 2020.

Santa Sabina College student Veronique Sakr was killed in the crash.

Angelina Abdallah life’s was tragically cut short.

The children were walking to get ice cream on Bettington Road at Oatlands when Davidson, 32, lost control of a Mitsubishi Triton and mowed them down while travelling at a speed in excess of 130km/h.

Three other children were also struck by the ute and one now lives with a permanent brain injury.

Tests conducted after the crash revealed Davidson had almost three times the legal amount of alcohol in his system, along with cocaine and MDMA.

Antony Abdallah was one of four children killed in the crash.

Sienna Abdallah, 8, was the youngest crash victim.

A NSW District Court Judge convicted Davidson and sentenced him to a maximum 28 years behind bars with a non-parole period of 21 years.

An appeal against the sentence was launched and first heard in the NSW Criminal Court of Appeal on Monday.

The Parramatta Advertiser reports Davidson’s barrister Stephen Odgers SC told the court the sentence Davidson handed was excessive.

“I think that’s a crushing sentence, with all respect,” Mr Odgers said.

Party boy Samuel Davidson’s ADHD has been cited as a reason his sentence should be slashed. Picture: Facebook

The court heard Davidson was of good character prior to the crash and had no criminal record.

Mr Odgers told the court Davidson’s time in custody would be more “onerous” because of his

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The court heard he was diagnosed at the age of five and stopped taking medication when he was 26.

Crown prosecutor David Kell said Davidson’s sentence was not excessive and reflected the severity of the crime and danger he posed to other road users.

A decision on Samuel Davidson’s appeal is yet to be made.

The court heard Davidson got behind the wheel after a day of drinking and drug taking, while in the moments before the crash he drove through a red light and on the wrong side of the road as he raised his middle finger at another driver with children in their car.

Outside court Veronique’s mother Bridget Sakr said the appeal had “opened up the wounds again”.

Judgement on the appeal has been reserved.

Originally published as Oatlands crash driver Samuel Davidson appeals sentence