A drunk and drugged driver who ran over a group of children and killed four in west Sydney more than two years ago has had his sentence reduced on appeal.
Brothers Abdallah, Antony, Sienna and Angelina and their cousin Veronique Sakr died in February 2020 when Samuel Davidson ran over them on a road as they walked to get ice cream in the Oatlands.
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He pleaded guilty to the murder of the four children, as well as other charges, and was sentenced to a maximum of 28 years in prison, with a 21-year probation period.
On Friday, following an appeal, the maximum sentence was reduced to eight years, to 20 years, with a 15-year probation period.
He will now be entitled to parole in January 2035.
Victims of the Oatlands crash, from left, Veronique, Sienna, Antony and Angelina. Credits: SuppliedLeila and Danny Abdallah. Archive image. Credit: Joel Carrett / AAP
At the time of his initial sentencing, Judge James Bennett said Davidson’s threatening, dangerous and aggressive driving showed that all responsibility for the safety of others had been abandoned.
Tragedy was inevitable, but the magnitude of the tragedy extended to the unimaginable, Judge Bennett said.
The shock
On the night of February 1, 2020, Antony, Angelina and Sienna’s father, Danny Abdallah, had given the children permission to go alone for an ice cream, giving them the first taste of independence. .
Shortly afterwards, Davidson – who was under the influence of drugs and alcohol – got on the trail with his car and hit the group.
Danny and his wife Leila ran to the site to find that their children had been murdered.
“What should have been an innocent and enjoyable outing for young children became one of the worst road tragedies Australia has ever seen,” Danny told the Vatican World Meeting of Families last month.
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“From afar, I saw the police cover Antony, Angelina, Sienna and Veronique with a white sheet. They were gone. ”
Leila, who had arrived at the scene but went to the hospital with her eldest daughter Liana, realized that half of her family was dead when her husband later arrived at the hospital with three priests.
He had the impression that his other children would also be taken to the hospital.
“I was crying, yelling and begging that it wasn’t true,” he said.
The Abdallah family. Credit: Supplied An makeshift monument was installed at the crash site. Credit: 7NEWS
In the days following the tragedy, the family made headlines around the world when Leila said she forgave the driver.
“Forgiveness is a sign of strength, not weakness,” he said last month.
“Forgiveness has brought us healing and peace.”
Since the accident, the family has taken in a seventh child, a girl named Selina.