The story of Samuel William Davidson traces the 2020 Oatlands crash that killed four children and the remarkable forgiveness shown by the Abdallah and Sakr families. From his reckless, drug-fuelled driving to his 20-year prison sentence, faith transformation & emotional prison meetings, the blog highlights how tragedy evolved into a national message of redemption & forgiveness.
Introduction
The name Samuel William Davidson will forever be tied to one of Australia’s most heartbreaking tragedies-the Oatlands crash of February 2020, where four young lives were lost. Yet from the devastation came an extraordinary act of faith & forgiveness that reshaped the nation’s conversation about justice, repentance & redemption.
This is the complete story-from Davidson’s troubled past and the night of the crash, to the court battles, his prison transformation & the Abdallah family’s remarkable grace that inspired the nation.
Early Life & Family Background
Born and raised in western Sydney, Samuel William Davidson grew up in a close, law-enforcement family. His father, Allan Davidson, was a former NSW Police detective & his mother Kay later described the tragedy as “the day we effectively lost our son.”
Before the Oatlands crash, the Davidsons had already faced deep loss. In 2009, their daughter died from cystic fibrosis after a lung-transplant complication. Samuel, then 19, said the event left a permanent scar:
“It didn’t even feel real for a few days … I just tried to play brave.”
Her death sent him spiralling into binge drinking & occasional drug use, a pattern that worsened over time. Eventually, he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-a condition the courts later accepted as a subjective factor but ruled did not excuse his choices behind the wheel.
The Night of the Oatlands Crash
On 1 February 2020, after drinking since early morning & consuming cocaine & MDMA, Davidson got into his Mitsubishi Triton ute with a friend. At 7:50 pm, he sped down Bettington Road, Oatlands, reaching 133 km/h in a 50 zone with a blood-alcohol reading of 0.182-more than three times the legal limit.
Witnesses described two shirtless men laughing in the ute, tailgating, swerving across lanes, & even raising a middle finger at another driver. Davidson recalled:
“I was waiting to turn at a light that was taking forever … I’m not even sure why on Earth we were driving.”
He then took a corner so fast that, in his own words,
“Not even a race-car driver could have pulled it off.”
The ute mounted the kerb & ploughed nearly 90 metres along the footpath, striking seven children walking & riding bikes to buy ice-cream near Oatlands Golf Club.
Four were killed instantly:
- Antony Abdallah (13)
- Angelina Abdallah (12)
- Sienna Abdallah (8)
- Veronique Sakr (11)
Three others were injured; one sustained permanent brain damage. Davidson, stunned & sobbing, was heard saying:
“What have I done? I’ve killed people. I’m going to jail.”
Immediate Aftermath & Forgiveness
The next morning, at a makeshift memorial of flowers and candles, Leila & Danny Abdallah faced reporters. Leila’s words stunned the nation:
“I think in my heart I forgive him … I don’t want to hate.”
Her husband Danny echoed her faith, saying that forgiveness was the only way forward.
Meanwhile, Davidson’s parents publicly apologised:
“We’re devastated for the families who lost their children. We’re no strangers to grief … now we’ve lost our son too.”
This compassion on both sides — unimaginable in the wake of such horror — would later become the foundation for the i4Give movement, promoting forgiveness & healing.
Court Proceedings & Sentencing
Guilty Pleas
Davidson pleaded guilty to four counts of manslaughter, two counts of grievous bodily harm, and one of aggravated dangerous driving occasioning death. His lawyers acknowledged his intoxication, speed & recklessness, calling it “one catastrophic lapse of control with unimaginable consequences.”
2021 Sentencing
On 9 April 2021, Judge James Bennett of Parramatta District Court sentenced Samuel William Davidson to 28 years’ imprisonment with a 21-year non-parole period.
“The manner of driving was such that tragedy was inevitable,” Judge Bennett said. “The magnitude of the tragedy extends to the unimaginable.”
In a handwritten letter, Davidson told the court:
“Waking up every day knowing I’m responsible is the worst punishment.”
Victims’ parents filled the courtroom. Bob Sakr, Veronique’s father, pleaded for “the most extreme sentence possible.” Outside court, Danny Abdallah said:
“Whether he gets one year or a hundred, we won’t get our kids back. Where my disappointment lies is the way our culture loves drugs and alcohol.”
2022 Appeal & Sentence Reduction
In July 2022, the Court of Criminal Appeal reduced Davidson’s sentence to 20 years, with a 15-year non-parole period, finding the original term “plainly unjust” for a single course of conduct.
Justice Paul Brereton ruled:
“His one act of criminally negligent driving had catastrophic consequences … this sentence acknowledges the dignity of each child.”
He factored in Davidson’s ADHD, remorse, and 11 months in protective custody during the pandemic, where isolation was harsher than usual.
Veronique’s mother, Bridget Sakr, called the reduction “unjust”:
“3.75 years per child — that’s the value placed as punishment. The wounds never close, but this puts salt on them and it stings.”
2023 High Court Decision
In March 2023, Davidson sought a further reduction through the High Court of Australia, arguing miscalculation of sentence aggregation. The court refused to hear the case, saying it “raised no matters of importance.”
His 20-year term and 2035 parole eligibility remain final.
Life Inside Cessnock Prison
Davidson is serving his sentence at Cessnock Correctional Centre, a maximum-security prison about two hours from Sydney.
According to NSW Deputy Commissioner Leon Taylor, he has spent most of his time in protective custody, segregated for his own safety because of the nature and notoriety of his offence.
Inmates in this unit are locked in by 3:30 pm & released at 6:30 am, totalling about 17 hours a day behind a steel door.
“I keep my cell clean – it just makes it feel more homely,” Davidson told interviewers. “I was like that on the outside too.”
He often dreams of walking through an open door and says his greatest fear is that his ageing parents will die before he’s released.
Spiritual Transformation & Faith Journey
During his isolation, Davidson underwent a profound spiritual change. A former homeless inmate who knew Father Robert Pio, the Abdallah family’s Maronite priest, called him from the prison and said:
“Father, I’ve got the driver who ran over the Abdallah children in my cell.”
Father Pio visited Davidson, who soon began praying the rosary three times a day, attending Mass and Bible study & sought conversion to Maronite Catholicism.
“The whole world should have hated me,” Davidson said, “but because of Danny & Leila’s forgiveness, I can see life differently.”
Father Pio reflected:
“It shows how grace can transform guilt.”
Restorative Justice & Private Meetings
Through the Corrective Services NSW Restorative Justice Program, Davidson met Danny Abdallah privately in 2023 for the first time.
Danny described it as a moment of mutual humanity:
“If I gave him a gun and said, ‘Shoot the kids or yourself,’ he’d shoot himself.”
When the Abdallahs later welcomed their eighth child, Davidson phoned from prison to congratulate them; his parents also called.
“He said congratulations … I told him he & his family are in my prayers,” Danny recalled.
The Televised Prison Meeting (2025)
After eight months of negotiations with lawyers, psychologists & NSW Corrections, 7 News Spotlight was granted permission to film a meeting between Davidson & Danny inside Cessnock Correctional Centre.
Host Michael Usher said:
“We spent a week inside one of Australia’s hardest prisons … what I witnessed inside those walls is something I never expected to see.”
During the recorded conversation, Danny told Davidson:
“If it was up to me, I’d bring you out tomorrow. Justice is to have my kids back.”
Davidson, in tears, replied:
“I don’t think I deserve that … Him even talking to me is a blessing. He keeps amazing me. He’s one in a million.”
He revisited the night of the crash:
“We ran the red light. We had no control over the car. When I got out, it was carnage.”
They ended the meeting in prayer. The emotional footage aired in August 2025, prompting a wave of national reflection.
Leila Abdallah said afterwards:
“My phone has been buzzing all morning – the response has been incredible.”
Leila Abdallah’s Emotional Offer
Following the broadcast, Leila Abdallah said she also wanted to meet Davidson & would welcome him into her home one day.
“We try our best not to hate … we will never recover, but we try not to hold grudges.”
She also revealed her ongoing private grief:
“It was my birthday recently & I was crying all day in bed. Deep down, Danny & I have no joy. The world sees him as inspirational, but I see a broken man who never gives up.”
Danny said the decision to forgive was the hardest of his life:
“That day I was at a crossroads – forgive & lose half my family, or seek revenge and lose everything.”
The i4Give Foundation & National Impact
In memory of their children-Antony, Angelina, Sienna & Veronique-the Abdallahs launched the i4Give Foundation, urging Australians to “forgive & ask for forgiveness.”
The first i4Give Week was originally delayed by COVID-19, launching finally in February 2023 at the park where the children once played. The event featured rides, live performances, outdoor films and prayer services, attended by hundreds.
Veronique’s father Bob Sakr said:
“When I heard Leila say she forgave the driver, that wasn’t going through my head … but I quickly realised I was only burdening myself.”
By 2024, i4Give Week had become a national event, celebrated in schools, churches & community groups across Australia. The movement is now a symbol of restorative justice & healing.
Ongoing Legacy of Samuel William Davidson
The story of Samuel William Davidson has evolved from one of devastation to a symbol of transformation & moral reckoning.
It serves as a national reminder of:
- The deadly cost of drink-& drug-driving.
- The possibility of redemption through faith & remorse.
- The strength of forgiveness in the face of unimaginable loss.
Davidson remains in prison, remorseful & quietly devoted to prayer. The Abdallah & Sakr families continue their mission of compassion, teaching that forgiveness does not erase pain-but it can redeem the human spirit.
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