‘Not worth my sister’s life’: Family’s shock at manslaughter sentence

A woman who killed her own daughter and another woman with her car during a brawl in a car park has been sentenced.

A NSW mother who killed her own daughter and another woman when she ran her car over them during a frenzied parking lot brawl has been jailed for at least three years.

Linda Britton stood trial in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court last year where she was found guilty of two counts of manslaughter over the deaths of her daughter Skye Luland, 24, and another woman Kazzandra Widders, 20.

Ms Luland and Ms Widders both died during a massive brawl in the parking lot of a Nambucca Heads shopping centre on September 28, 2019.

Britton was last year found guilty of two counts of manslaughter over the tragic deaths of Kazzandra Widders, 20, as well as her own daughter, Skye Luland, 24.

Both women died during a deadly altercation inside the parking lot of a Nambucca Heads shopping centre on September 28, 2019.

Britton was behind the wheel when she intentionally drove her car at Ms Widders and Ms Luland, who were on the ground fighting.

There were tense moments inside and outside Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court on Thursday afternoon as two sets of families filed into court to learn the fate of Britton.

Linda Britton (centre) was found guilty of the manslaughter of her daughter and another woman at Nambucca Heads on the NSW Mid North Coast on September 28. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Simon Bullard.

During her trial, Britton argued she was attempting to save her daughter - who she thought was at risk of serious harm or being killed - and was trying to nudge Ms Widders.

However, her Daewoo mounted the gutters and a grassed area before coming to rest on top of the two women, crushing them.

Both sets of families arrived at court wearing shirts emblazoned with the images of their respective loved ones.

Ms Widders’ family wore shirts with the words “there can be no peace without justice” while Britton herself wore a shirt with the image of her daughter.

Judge Sarah Huggett on Thursday afternoon sentenced Britton to six years in jail with a non-parole period.

With time served, she will be eligible for release as early as January 2026.

“We love you mum,” yelled Britton’s supporters from the gallery, as she was led away in handcuffs.

Outside court, Ms Widders’ sister Naomi Widders expressed her disappointment at the sentence.

“Two lives are gone and someone’s serving three years before they can receive parole,” Ms Widders said outside court.

“That is not worth my sister’s life.”

Skye Luland and Kazzandra Widders were killed after Linda Britton hit them with her car at a Nambucca Heads parking lot.

Britton pleaded not guilty to manslaughter, arguing her actions were in defence of her daughter, who she feared was going to be seriously harmed or killed.

But she was found guilty by a jury.

The court heard that Ms Luland and Ms Widders were involved in a separate altercation earlier in the evening before violence between two groups erupted in the parking lot.

Judge Huggett described the atmosphere as “charged, chaotic and frightening” and Britton’s decision to drive at the two women as “spur of the moment” made in “extreme panic”.

She said that Britton reacted “instinctively” doing what she thought was necessary to protect her daughter.

She said Britton herself had suffered injuries during the altercation including a fractured wrist and thumb.

“In all the circumstances, while her response to that threat was excessive, it was not excessive by a significant margin,” Judge Huggett said.

Kazzandra Widders’ family arrived at court wearing shirts with her picture. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Simon Bullard.

Britton later told police that she intended to nudge Ms Widders off Ms Luland with her bumper bar.

“I just saw Skye getting bashed and hit and hit and hit and hit. I didn’t know what to do,” Britton was recorded as telling police.

“I thought I would just push her off Skye with the bumper bar of my car.

“I thought that girl was going to kill her and I ended up killing my own daughter. It’s all my fault.”

She said that she was worried for her daughter’s life because she saw Ms Widders on top of Ms Luland throwing multiple punches.

After the fatal collision, both women had to be freed from under the Daewoo.

Despite attempts to revive them, both were declared dead at the scene.