Samuel Davidson jailed after killing Abdallah, Sakr kids at Oatlands
Samuel Davidson’s drug and alcohol-fuelled ‘menacing, aggressive’ driving ‘inevitably’ killed three Abdallah siblings and their cousin at Oatlands but the enduring pain was ‘unimaginable’.
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The man who fatally mowed down three siblings and their cousin as they went to buy ice cream at Oatlands, has been jailed for 28 years over the “unimaginable tragedy’’.
Samuel Davidson, 30, who in October pleaded guilty to seven charges – four counts of manslaughter, two counts of causing bodily harm by misconduct and one of aggravated dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, was sentenced to 28 years jail on Friday by Judge James Bennett, with a non-parole period of 21 years.
The tragedy occurred on February 1, 2020, when the court heard he woke up depressed and was so high from drugs and alcohol he did not recall ploughing into Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, and Sienna Abdallah, 9, and their cousin Veronique Sakr, 11, who were making their way to the IGA supermarket for ice cream.
Three children survived the crash and one child was left with lifelong cognitive problems after requiring brain surgery and almost two weeks in the intensive care unit.
Justice Bennett said Davidson’s “menacing’’ driving and gross negligence showed no regards for road users.
“The manner of driving was such that tragedy was inevitable but the magnitude of the tragedy extends to the unimaginable,’’ he said.
He told the court no sentence could alleviate the pain suffered by the two close-knit families and he could not “think of anything worse’’ than listening to his summary of the incidents that unfolded.
The youngsters had gathered for one of the survivor’s birthdays at a home in Telopea and were walking along the Bettington Rd footpath outside Oatlands Golf Club just before 8pm.
Moments earlier, Davidson ran a red light at Pennant Hills and Bettington roads intersection, gave other drivers the middle finger while driving on the wrong side of the roundabout and tore down the street 70km/h over the speed limit.
His Mitsubishi Triton ute — which carried two passengers — reached 133km/h when he struck the children.
When he got out of the ute, he turned to one passenger and said: “What have I done? I killed people. I’m going to jail.’’
The former truck driver was high on drugs and grog — he started drinking alcohol at his Greens Ave, Oatlands, home at 7am that day, before bingeing on MDMA, cocaine, Vodka Cruisers, rum and Coke, and beers with his mates Daniel Smith and Daniel Newman by the swimming pool.
He was three times the blood alcohol limit when he ploughed into the children.
“The court does not lose sight of the sympathy which they deserve,’’ Justice Bennett said.
“They are paying an enormous price for the decision of the offender.’’
After the punishment, the victims’ families addressed the media outside court where the Abdallahs’ father Danny said he was also thinking of Davidson’s parents, whose daughter died from cystic fibrosis in 2009 and now they had lost their son.
“We will all have our hearts broken to the day we take our last breath,’’ Mr Abdallah said.
“No sentence will ease that pain. The justice system isn’t a place to serve as revenge for the victims. It is there to show the community the consequences of breaking the law. Where my disappointment lies is the way our culture loves drugs and alcohol — that’s where my frustration is, more than the driver.’’
His wife Leila said she prayed for God’s will to be done before the sentence was imposed.
“I need God to carry me what I’m going through. If it wasn’t for God I don’t think I would have coped,’’ she said.
Veronique’s mother Bridget said her family’s loss was permanent compared with Davidson’s temporary loss of freedom.
“No court or sentence term issued can ever compensate for what we’ve lost nor determine the value of Veronique’s life and that of her cousins Antony, Angelina and Sienna.
“Our suffering will never be eased by any aspect of today’s judgment. Only God can help ease our suffering and give us the strength to continue with our daily lives.
“We all hope that Mr Davidson can use his time in jail to really reflect on what he’s done and truly understand the consequence of his actions, in particular how the misuse of drugs and alcohol has devastated so many families, communities and, indeed, all of us here.’’
Veronique’s father Bob said the tragedy underlined how legislation needed to be reformed.
“This tragedy’s shone a light upon the need for a change in legislations in traffic,’’ he said. Legislations need to change so people can live their lives and people can enjoy their families to the fullest.
“I hope and pray that no one has to go through what we went through.”
Davidson, the son of a retired detective, wrote a letter of apology to the Abdallah and Sakr families from prison and said he prayed for the victims every day, and he was touched by a television program watched on their grief-stricken family.
“I’m so sorry what I have done to your beautiful family,’’ he wrote.
“I’m so sorry for this and hate what I have put you through … I pray for you every day.
“I would do anything to relive that day and be sober and never leave the house.
“I will definitely not touch drugs again … and never want to drive a motor vehicle again, even if I’m sober.’’
The court heard Davidson did not have a criminal record but had notched up several traffic offences, mainly for speeding, ahead of the fatality.
Testimonials from Davidson’s father Allan and his mother Kay, and his boss of the trucking company, who described him as hardworking but naive and childlike, were read out.
Davidson, who also held jobs as a chef and DJ, lived with his parents on the Central Coast four months before the fatality, when his conduct was, according to his dad, “totally out of character’’.
The court heard he was diagnosed with ADHD when he was five and suffered facial ticks but the disorder did not have an impact on his impulsivity the night he killed the children.
Reading Mrs Davidson’s testimonial on her behalf, Justice Bennett said Davidson was 19 when his sister died.
“He knows how it feels to lose someone who you love and adore. He feels the pain and loss of his sister every day. She wishes she could turn back time. She has lost her daughter and now her son.’’
His cannabis use became “excessive’’ after his sister’s death and he started taking MDMA at raves in 2017.
Justice Bennett took into account Davidson’s guilty plea, which allowed a 25 per cent discount on his sentence.
He will be eligible for parole on January 31, 2041, when he will be 50.
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