The drugged driver who mowed down and killed four young children is seeking a second appeal after claiming his ADHD diagnosis may have been linked to the horror accident.
Danny and Leila Abdallah’s three children, Sienna, eight, Angelina, 12, and Antony, 13, and their cousin Veronique Sakr, 11, were walking to get ice cream in Oatlands, western Sydney, when Samuel William Davidson climbed the curb and all four killed in February 2020.
Samuel William Davidson last reduced his prison sentence by eight years after killing four children in Oatlands in 2020, and wants to appeal the sentence again
In July, the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal ruled that Davidson’s original 28-year sentence, with a 21-year non-parole period, was clearly excessive and was reduced by eight years.
Davidson is now appealing that sentence to seek permission from the Supreme Court to reverse the decision after claiming the judges failed to determine whether his ADHD could be linked to the incident.
Antony (far left), 13, Angelina (far right), 12, and Sienna Abdallah (front left), 9, were killed in the horror accident on February 1, 2020
The original sentence for Davidson was 28 years in prison with an unconditional 21 years after he pleaded guilty to numerous crimes, including manslaughter.
But a majority decision handed down by the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal in July saw this reduced to 20 years behind bars with a 15-year unconditional period.
His attorney, Stephen Odgers SC, has filed paperwork with the Supreme Court seeking permission to appeal the last sentence and further reduce his time in prison.
Davidson’s representatives want to appeal his sentence again after claiming judges had not decided whether his ADHD was a factor in the accident
Supreme Court documents, as reported by the TelegraphAccording to psychiatrist Dr. Richard Furst, Davidson’s ADHD tended to “drink too much in the first place.”
He said that “the decision to drive in the first place, apparently to get (or) withdraw money, while intoxicated, was probably also influenced by his ADHD.”
Their argument is based on three factors — one suggesting that two Court of Appeal judges were unable to conclude whether his condition affected his behavior on the day of the accident.
Should the Supreme Court grant a second appeal, Davidson’s representation will request that the case be returned to the CCA for a new conviction.
Veronique’s mother Bridget Sakr called the attempt a “farce” and said it affected the entire community.
“It grabs at straws to find a reason. He really couldn’t have gotten in the vehicle and crashed and killed four kids,” she said.
“He already got a 25 percent discount for admission of guilt, then he got another discount and he’s going back.
“I wonder what the Australian community would think if they knew their tax money went to Samuel Davidson.”
In July, Abdallah said the decision to reduce Davidson’s sentence to just 20 years with a 15-year unconditional period was “disappointing” and he couldn’t see how his children’s killer was successful in the appeal.
Danny and Leila Abdallah (pictured) were disappointed with the justice system after the sentence of the murderer of their three children was reduced by eight years on appeal
“Today is a hard day, it brought us back to the tragedy, we moved forward slowly and focused on the children, but it just brought us back there,” Abdallah said. Jim Wilson from 2 GB.
‘Look, four (children) died and three are spiritually dead, they are just walking around in grief and pain.
“Even though we’ve forgiven the driver, I’m just disappointed in the justice system.”
Abdallah, who has four children with wife Leila, said his children who survived the incident could not understand why the sentence had been reduced and felt “abandoned”.
“Ultimately what they (the legal system) do is they allow other people to do drugs and drink alcohol and drive because the punishment won’t be much,” he said.
“It’s not about me and my family, it’s the next family that goes through this.
‘What example have we shown society when someone does such a thing?
“We have to live with our life sentence.”