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A grieving father has told of the moment he came face to face with the killer driver who mowed down his three children.
Danny and Leila Abdallah’s children Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, Sienna, eight, and their niece Véronique Sakr, 11, were walking on a sidewalk to buy ice cream in Oatlands, in Sydney’s west, when they were struck by a car and killed on February 1, 2020.
The driver, Samuel Davidson, was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time. He is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
The Abdullahs will tell 500 people gathered at the Australian National Prayer Breakfast at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday that they are in contact with the driver.
Walking on a trail to buy ice cream at Oatlands, Sydney. west, when they were hit by a car and killed on February 1, 2020
Danny Abdallah (right) visited his children’s killer, while his wife Leila (left) planned to visit him.
The driver Samuel Davidson was then under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Mr Abdallah visited Davidson in prison, while Ms Abdallah also plans to do so, the Today’s telegraph reported.
Mr Abdallah went to confront the driver during a prison visit, admitting he was unsure how the meeting would go.
In an extraordinary gesture of forgiveness, the heartbroken father reached out his hand to the murdering driver, prompting an outpouring of emotion.
“I shook his hand and he fell to his knees, put his head on the ground and said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry for taking your children,’” he said.
“He was crying and I was crying – you see, no one won in this.”
“I was at a crossroads in my life and the hardest question as a parent is you can lose your whole family with bitterness and seek revenge, or you can keep half your family and find the pardon.”
Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who became close to the family, revealed how this tragedy was one of the most difficult days of his mandate.
The horrific incident coincided with the closure of Australia’s borders at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking about the Abdullahs and the Sakrs, Mr Morrison became emotional during an interview on Sky News for a new documentary about the Liberal Party.
“I will never forget that day, it was actually the day my dear friends Danny, Leila Abdallah and Bridget Sakr lost their children in that terrible accident in Oatlands, on the same day…sorry,” he said. -he declares.
“They had every right to be furious, they had every right to be vindictive, they had every right to lash out and they chose a different path.
“And I know why they did it because we share the same faith.”
Sienna, eight, Angelina, 12, and Antony, 13, were all killed in the tragic incident on February 1, 2020.
Last month, Mr Abdallah announced that his wife Leila was pregnant with their eighth child.
“Leila is fine, she’s pregnant again. I got one in front of the goalkeeper! And yes, she’s been very busy with the kids,” he told 2GB at the time.
Mr Abdallah also revealed that Oatlands Golf Club had finally agreed for a memorial to be erected at the scene of the accident to honor his children.
The family hopes the project will be ready before Christmas and Mr Abdallah says it will bring “closure” to their lives.
The Abdallahs welcomed the birth of a baby girl in March last year and with another baby on the way, the couple will be parents to five surviving children.
The 2020 crash shook the country, and many were impressed by the Abdullahs’ remarkable act of forgiveness toward the driver days later.
The couple then set up the i4give Foundation – which coincides with the anniversary of the accident – to remember their lost loved ones and help others in similar situations.
The Abdullahs also filed a civil suit against Davidson.
The lawsuit, which reportedly involves Davidson’s insurance policy, seeks payment for the ongoing trauma suffered by the family and for the children who were injured but survived the catastrophic accident.
Danny Abdallah recalls heartbreaking moment he came face to face with killer driver Samuel Davidson