A grief-stricken father has detailed 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 Veronique Sakr, 11, were walking on a footpath to buy ice-cream at Oatlands, in Sydney’s west, when they were hit 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 jail sentence.
The Abdallahs will tell 500 people gathered at the n National Prayer Breakfast in Parliament House in Canberra on Monday they are in contact with the driver.
Danny and Leila Abdallah’s children Antony, (far left) Angelina, 12, (far right) Sienna, eight, (centre left) and their niece Veronique Sakr, 11, were walking on a footpath to buy ice-cream at Oatlands, in Sydney ‘s west, when they were hit by a car and killed on February 1, 2020
Danny Abdallah (right) has visited his children’s killer, while his wife Leila (left) has made plans to
The driver Samuel Davidson was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time
Mr Abdallah has visited Davidson in prison, while Ms Abdallah also has plans to do so, the Daily Telegraph reported.
Mr Abdallah went to confront the driver at an organised visit in prison, admitting he was unsure of how the encounter would play out.
In an extraordinary gesture of forgiveness, the heartbroken dad put his hand out to the killer driver, which prompted an outpouring of emotion.
‘I shook his hand and he just fell to his knees, put his head on the floor and said, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry I took your kids,”‘ he said.
‘He was crying and I was crying – you just see nobody 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 of your family and find forgiveness.’
Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who has become close with the family, revealed how the tragedy was one of the hardest days of his leadership.
The horrific incident coincided with the closing of ‘s boarders at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking about the Abdallahs and Sakrs, Mr Morrison became emotional during an interview on Sky News for a new documentary on the Liberal party.
‘I’ll never forget that day, it was actually the day my dear friends Danny and Leila Abdallah and Bridget Sakr lost their kids in that terrible accident over in Oatlands, same day… sorry,’ he said.
‘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 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 his wife Leila was pregnant with their eighth child.
‘Leila’s well, she’s pregnant again. I got one past the goalkeeper! And yeah, she’s been pretty busy with the kids,’ he told 2GB at the time.
Mr Abdallah also revealed the Oatlands Golf Club had finally agreed to a memorial being set up at the scene of the crash to honour his children.
The family are hoping it will be ready before Christmas with Mr Abdallah saying it will bring ‘closure’ into their lives.
The Abdallahs had welcomed the birth of a baby girl in March last year and with another baby on the way, the couple will be the parents of five surviving children.
The 2020 crash rocked the country, with many in awe at the Abdallahs’ remarkable act of forgiveness for the driver just days later.
The couple later set up the i4give Foundation – which coincides with the anniversary of the crash – to remember their lost loved ones and help others in similar situations.
The Abdallahs have also launched a civil suit against Davidson.
The legal action, which is believed to involve Davidson’s insurance policy, seeks payment for ongoing trauma to the family and for children who were injured but survived the catastrophic accident.