Memorial to be unveiled for Abdallah, Sakr children killed at Oatlands

A father of three children killed alongside their cousin continues to call the man responsible for their death in prison. He shares why and how a new memorial is helping bring closure.

Forgiving your children’s killer would be inconceivable to most parents.

Danny Abdallah not only preaches forgiveness – but demonstrates it with regular phone calls to the man who fatally struck his children when he was behind the wheel and high on drugs.

Three of Danny and Leila Abdallah’s children Antony, 13, Angelina, 12 and Sienna, 8, and their cousin Veronique Sakr, 11, were killed after Samuel William Davidson struck them outside Oatlands Golf Club at Bettington Rd on February 1, 2020 when they were on the way to buy ice cream.

Mr Abdallah has visited Davidson in prison once and speaks to him over the phone every month from his jail cell.

“I needed closure. After my wife and my kids, I don’t think anyone’s impacted my life more than he has,’’ he said.

Leila and Danny Abdallah. Picture: David Swift

“I know it’s in a negative way but I like confrontation and I wanted to meet him and see him.

“I know we can’t change the past but I needed him to know who I was and tell him the hurt that he had caused and why I forgave him.

“I think it was a personal moment but it was a response I didn’t expect.’’

Davidson revealed that he had studied the Bible and became a Maronite Catholic, like the Abdallah and Sakr families.

Phone calls have been exchanged since that first hour-long encounter.

Antony Abdallah.

Angelina Abdallah.

Sienna Abdallah.

Veronique Sakr.

“We speak for about 10 minutes, he asks about me and the kids and I ask how he’s going and ask what he’s up to, and it’s just a very simple conversation,’’ Mr Abdallah said.

“It’s all pretty personal.’’

Davidson was initially sentenced to 28 years jail in 2021 after he pleaded guilty to four counts of manslaughter.

He was given a non-parole period of 21 years but that was reduced to 15 years after he won an appeal in July 2022.

Another thing helping to bring closure to the families is a hard-fought memorial garden that will be unveiled during a ceremony at the site of the tragedy, on Saturday evening when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and former MP and close Abdallah family friend Scott Morrison will attend.

Finishing touches were being added to the garden this week.

The memorial will feature four sandstone plinths with descriptions honouring the “four angels” and survivors, including the Abdallahs’ daughter Liana.

After the families’ long struggle to create the monument on the site, 80 per cent of the Oatlands Golf Club board voted to create the memorial late last year.

Both families say the monument would help honour their children and help everyone experiencing grief.

“It’s something for the community,’’ Mr Abdallah said.

“If someone is experiencing the loss of a loved one, they can come here and reflect and be encouraged and try to move the best way forward with a smile.’’

The Abdallahs have since welcomed baby Selina, and Mrs Abdallah is due to give birth to her eighth child in April.

Bridget Sakr will speak at the ceremony along with the support of her son Michael and husband Craig Mackenzie, who worked to secure a 25-year lease for the monument to be on the golf club site.

The makeshift memorial that will soon be transformed.

“There’s a transformation now when we go past,’’ she said.

“Rather than looking at it the way it was – there was a fence with pictures. Now it’s renewed and it’s beautifully done with the sandstone and plants. The plinths are beautiful, the kids are described with their characters on the plinths and so much love has gone into it.’’

Veronique’s father, Bob Sakr, died of cancer in July aged 53.

The family has also drawn on their faith to aid their grief and says everyone is welcome at the memorial.

“This place doesn’t exclude people with faith or without faith,’’ Ms Sakr said.

“Everybody is welcome. Everybody has a story, everybody has sadness and it’s there for everyone.’’

Since the children’s death, the Abdallahs began i4Give Day while Ms Sakr has formed the Heartfelt charity, opened the Quatre cafe at Strathfield in honour of the children, and her husband is actively lobbying for better legislation with the Road Trauma Support Group.

“We’ve all taken something and tried to get a greater good for this,’’ she said.