Oatlands tragedy: Strathfield cafe opens in honour of Abdallah, Sakr children
A grief-stricken mother whose food-loving daughter was killed alongside her three cousins at Oatlands has honoured the “angels” by opening a cafe in Sydney’s inner west.
Parramatta
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Bridget Sakr, whose 11-year-old daughter Veronique was mowed down alongside her three cousins by drunk driver Samuel Davidson at Oatlands, has found the inspiration amid her grief to open a cafe at Strathfield.
Ms Sakr has named the cafe Quatre, the French word for four, in honour of her youngest child and three nieces and nephews Antony, Angelina and Sienna Abdallah, who Davidson killed at Bettington Rd when they walked on a footpath to buy ice cream on February 1, 2020.
Speaking on the same day she was processing the devastating news that Davidson’s sentence had been slashed by six years after a successful appeal, Ms Sakr said the idea to start the eatery was hatched seven months ago.
“The day we opened (last week), a photo popped up on my phone and I thought ‘she’s happy’,’’ Ms Sakr said.
“She would have loved this.
“She stuffed the zucchini and baked potatoes, she loved making cakes and she loved tabouleh – my kids always loved to have homemade meals.’’
Her husband, Craig Mackenzie, recalled Veronique’s passion for food.
“We created this because Veronique loved cooking, she loved eating, she had a very mature palate,’’ he said.
“She loved being around people.’’
On Friday, the Abdallahs visited the cafe which has photos of their children and Veronique gracing the walls, and where their daughter Liana declared her nuggets and chips the best she had ever tasted.
“I think there’s a warmth around this place and I like to get feedback from people,’’ Ms Sakr said.
The deeply religious families continue to credit their Christian faith for helping them through the ordeal.
“That’s not to say I’m not wounded — I am and I struggle, sometimes it’s very, very hard to get out of bed — but it’s with the help of the psychologist, of my husband and family,’’ Ms Sakr said.
“Your identity’s really not the same when you lose a child. Grief does not go away, because it’s the price you pay for loving someone.’’
Among the items being developed on the menu will be zucchini stuffed with meat, onion and rice, just like Santa Sabina student Veronique loved to whip up for her family and friends.
Just like she does everywhere, Ms Sakr feels her daughter’s presence in the cafe and thinks about what her future would have been like.
“She wanted to marry a lawyer and have 28 kids,’’ Ms Sakr said.
“She said ‘Mum, you’re going to have to look after them’.’’
The tragedy has made Ms Sakr more determined to help others.
Along with her husband, she is involved with the NSW Road Trauma Support Group to push for reform and also supports others devastated by loss with the online prayer group HeartFELT (Families Experiencing Loss and Trauma), which she aims to establish as a charity.
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