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Home / World

Driver faces sentence hearing over Sydney crash that killed four children

By Heath Parkes-Hupton
news.com.au·
19 Mar, 2021 03:28 AM4 mins to read

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Sienna, Angelina and Antony Abdallah who died on February 1, 2020. Photo / Supplied

Sienna, Angelina and Antony Abdallah who died on February 1, 2020. Photo / Supplied

A speeding driver who spent the day drinking and snorting drugs was seen to laugh and stick his middle finger up at another car before he ploughed into a group of children in Sydney's northwest, killing four of them.

Moments later a distressed Samuel William Davidson hopped out of his ute and exclaimed: "What have I done? I have killed people. I am going to jail."

Samuel William Davidson, escorted by police, on February 1, 2020. Photo / Channel 7
Samuel William Davidson, escorted by police, on February 1, 2020. Photo / Channel 7

Davidson's senseless decision to drive to the local petrol station so his friend could withdraw cash last February robbed four kids of a future and left a community in mourning.

Siblings Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, and Sienna Abdallah, 9, and their cousin Veronique Sakr, 11, were killed when the Mitsubishi Triton Davidson was driving mounted a footpath and crashed into them near Oatlands Golf Club.

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A fifth child was left in a critical condition and spent 80 days in hospital but survived, while two others were also injured in the crash on Bettington Road.

The seven children were walking to a local IGA store to buy ice creams when they were hit from behind on a hot summer night about 7.50pm. Those who died suffered unspeakable injuries.

The full events that preceded the devastating crash on February 1, 2020, can be revealed after Davidson faced a sentence hearing before the District Court on Friday.

In October he pleaded guilty to four counts of manslaughter, two counts of causing bodily harm by misconduct in control of a motor vehicle and one of aggravated dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.

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On Friday Judge James Bennett read out each charge and asked the 30-year-old to confirm his pleas.

"Yes, Your Honour," he replied seven times.

"You are convicted of that offence," Judge Bennett declared in turn.

Agreed facts tendered to the court detail how Davidson, 30, spent the morning at his Oatlands home on Green Avenue drinking beer and Vodka Cruisers by his swimming pool.

He started drinking at 7am and had his last drink at 7.40pm.

About 11am Davidson, the son of a retired cop, snorted cocaine before he and friend Daniel Newman walked down to a local bottle shop to buy more cruisers at 3pm.

He and Newman later discussed how Davidson was owed money and they set off to an ATM at about 7.30pm.

CCTV captured Davidson pulling up to the Budget Petrol station at North Rocks and parking at the front door while Newman went inside to get cash.

Davidson repeatedly beeped the horn to hurry his friend before harshly accelerating out of the carpark and driving straight through a red light as he headed down Bettington Road.

A witness reported him tailgating her and swerving from side to side as he tried to overtake her car. In her rearview mirror she could see two shirtless men who were laughing.

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Danny and Leila Abdallah, who lost three children in the crash, arrive at court on Friday. Photo / News Corp
Danny and Leila Abdallah, who lost three children in the crash, arrive at court on Friday. Photo / News Corp

Davidson sped through a roundabout on the wrong side of the road to overtake the car and was "quite animated" and laughing when he gave another motorist the bird.

After stopping briefly for a red light at the intersection of Bettington and Pennant Hills roads, he drove across four lanes of traffic before the lights turned green.

Soon after the ute approached a sharp right hand bend on the sloping road, and while travelling at speeds in excess of 130km/h Davidson lost control of the vehicle.

The car mounted a kerb and careered into all seven children before coming to a stop 90m away.

Shocked witnesses rushed to the scene as Newman tried to render aid to one of the kids.

Davidson was seen to be distressed as he surveyed the catastrophic consequences of his actions.

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Analysis of the ute's computer data revealed it hit a top speed of 133km/h just seconds before the collision, at least 80km/h over the speed limit.

The accelerator was fully depressed and the brakes of the vehicle were not applied at any time in the five seconds preceding the collision, the data confirmed.

Davidson would blow a blood alcohol reading of 0.182 at the scene of the crash before returning a second reading of 0.15 at Castle Hill police station.

He told police he had snorted a line of cocaine earlier that morning.

Davidson faces sentences of 25 years in jail for the offence of manslaughter.

Family of the children are expected to address the court later on Friday.

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The hearing continues.

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