Oatlands crash: Samuel Davidson to plead guilty to manslaughter
The man who was allegedly behind the wheel when a car left a quiet western Sydney street and killed four young children will plead guilty.
A driver who was allegedly drunk and high on drugs when he ploughed into and killed four children on a quiet Sydney street this year will plead guilty to four counts of manslaughter, a court has heard.
Samuel William Davidson had allegedly been drinking since the early morning on February 1 before he got behind the wheel to drive to a service station in Oatlands, in the city’s north-west.
About 7.45pm, while allegedly travelling at more than double the speed limit, the Mitsubishi four-wheel-drive he was driving left Bettington Rd and careered into a group of seven kids who had set off from home to buy ice cream.
Four of those children – siblings Antony, 13, Angelina, 12 and Sienna Abdallah, 9, and their cousin Veronique Sakr, 11 – were killed.
A fifth child, another of the Abdallahs’ cousins 11-year-old Charbel Kassas, was left in a critical condition and spent 80 days in hospital.
On Thursday, the clean-shaven Mr Davidson told Parramatta Local Court he would plead guilty to several charges at his next court date.
Those charges include four counts of manslaughter, two counts of causing grievous bodily harm by misconduct in charge of a motor vehicle and one of aggravated dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm while under the influence of drugs.
“Yes, your Magistrate,” he replied when asked to confirm what his lawyer had revealed to the court.
Court documents allege the 30-year-old had ran a red light in the moments before the crash, having left a Caltex service station with a 24-year-old friend in the car to return to his rented home on Greens Ave.
Mr Davidson was allegedly found to have MDMA in his system and a blood alcohol reading of 0.15 - three times the legal limit - following his arrest.
He will return to court on October 22 where he is expected to be committed for sentence.
Mr Davidson, the son of a retired police officer, had been facing 34 charges in total.
The court heard the balance of those charges would be withdrawn upon entering guilty pleas to the seven charges indicated on Thursday.
The crash rocked Sydney’s tight-knit Maronite community, and sparked outrage and grief across the country.
Members of the Abdallah and Sakr families were not present in court this week, and have previously spoken about their decision to avoid Mr Davidson’s appearances and instead “trust in the Australian judicial system”.
“We‘re determined to spend time with our children who are still with us and remain in constant prayer for the strength we need to see us through this time,” Daniel Abdallah, the father of the Abdallah children, said in a statement.
Just a day after the crash near Oatlands Golf Club, an emotional Leila Abdallah said she was bolstered by her faith in offering forgiveness to the man who allegedly killed three of her children, Mr Davidson.
“I don’t hate him. I think in my heart I forgive him, but I want the court to be fair,” she said.
The Abdallah and Sakr families have spearheaded a call to change drink and drug driving laws, including giving police the power to charge passengers.
One of Sydney’s most exclusive homes raided
Cops dressed as tradies have raided a multimillion-dollar home in one of Sydney’s most exclusive suburbs, with a man charged over an alleged $30m cocaine haul.
Reason behind accounting ‘mistakes’
Guy Sebastian’s former manager has revealed why he made accounting “mistakes” as he stands trial for allegedly embezzling $640,000 from the pop star.
One thing that won’t be in NSW budget
NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey says the state’s budget will be about the “future of essential services”, but one key question about housing will go unanswered.