The mother of Oatlands crash victim Veronique Sakr claims she has been left feeling ‘sick’ following Ezra Mam’s ‘slap on the wrist’ punishment, adding that the NRL star’s sentence has ‘re-traumatised’ her.
Mam, 21, was handed an $850 fine and a six-month driving ban after he pleaded guilty to one count of driving while a relevant drug is present in blood and driving without a license.
The Brisbane Broncos player also avoided a criminal conviction for the incident that took place on October 18 in Bardon, Brisbane. He was understood to have allegedly failed a roadside drug test after his Ford Ranger crashed in a head-on collision with an Uber taxi.
The NRL’s Integrity Unit is conducting an investigation into the matter, and have been called by some, including Bridget Sakr, to come down heavy on the half back.
‘I thought it was disgraceful and it has re-traumatised me,’ Sakr said to The Daily Telegraph, reflecting on Mam’s punishment.
Her partner, Craig Mackenzie, added that the court’s decision left him ‘sick to his stomach.’
Ezra Mam was handed a fine of $850 and a six-month driving suspension on Monday
Bridget Sakr (left) and Craig Mackenzie (right) the parents of one of the victims from the 2020 Oatlands crash, stated were ‘enraged’ by the sanction that had been handed to Mam
Some have blasted Mam’s (pictured) the punishment for being too lenient, with Sakr claiming she’d been ‘re-traumatised’ by the ruling
Sakr and her husband lost their daughter, Veronique, aged 11, in February 2020.
She and her cousins, Sienna Abdallah, 8, and her siblings Anthony, 13, and Angelina, 12, had been walking along a sidewalk to buy ice creams in the nort-western Sydney suburb when Samuel William Davidson drove into them. The four children tragically died.
Davidson was jailed for 28 years in April 2021, with a non-parole period of 21 years. But in 2022, his sentence was slashed by the New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal. The court concluded that Davidson’s sentence was excessive and reduced his sentence to 20 years, with a non-parole period of 15 years.
There is no allegation that Mam had been drinking or speeding at the time of his incident, with the facts being different to the Oatlands case. But an ‘enraged’ Bridget Sakr spoke out on Mam’s sentence, claiming that it sends the wrong message to the Australian community.
‘On Monday, the same day the [Mam] court case [was announced], my daughter celebrated her 16th birthday in heaven. She’s not with us anymore,’ Sakr said.
‘I don’t want any other family to celebrate their child’s birthday where they can’t blow out the candles themselves. It is the most painful thing a parent can go through,’ she said.
‘I have a photo of Veronique with a cake with 16 on it – but there’s no Veronique. What would have happened if those in the (Mam) accident had died?
‘And this person gets a slap on the wrist – what is that? What does society learn from that penalty? It enraged me, it’s unacceptable. I feel sick because I know what it feels like. I have lived the experience of losing my flesh and blood.
Four children were killed in Oatlands, north-western Sydney, after they were struck by a man who was driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs
‘How do people get away with this? What message does this punishment send to the Australian community, that somebody who gets behind the wheel having taken substances – and they know what the consequences can be – that they can’t control their destiny.’
Radio presenter Mark Levy also claimed that Mam’s punishment wasn’t strong enough, calling on the NRL to ban him until 2026.
Sakr, however, called on the league to take a more abrasive stance and suspend the half back for much longer.
‘You can do what you want if you’re a person of public profile or professional footballer?’ She said. ‘Do you get an exemption for your wrongdoings? The NRL and Broncos shouldn’t tip-toe around the edges, they have to take a harsh stance. Someone has to step up.
‘He [Mam] should be suspended for five years – to feel the impact of what that means. No one else dares to do anything harsh – a five-year suspension for anybody who does this. Their career would be ruined because they have taken that risk.’
Mam, who had checked himself into a rehabilitation centre following the traffic incident, had admitted his remorse following his appearance in court.
‘To the people involved in the accident, I am truly sorry. This incident isn’t a reflection of what I want to be and what is expected of me as a role model,’ Mam had said.
‘To the NRL, Brisbane Broncos, the fans, my family – I am sorry. I promise to work on being a better person.’
Mam had allegedly failed a roadside drug test after he was involved in a head-on traffic collision
His Ford Ranger had crashed into an Uber taxi, which was carrying a mother and her four-year-old daughter
New Brisbane boss, Michael Maguire has previously confirmed that Mam’s five-year $4million contract at the club wouldn’t be terminated following the incident.
But on Monday, Magistrate Mark Nolan claimed that Mam’s actions were ‘stupid’ before adding that Mam ‘had to learn’ from the incident.
‘On this particular occasion you shouldn’t have been driving because of the fact you didn’t have a licence,’ the Magistrate said.
‘Having made that stupid decision to get behind the wheel of the car, as well as use illicit substances as well… a cocktail of cocaine and other matters that were found in your blood on this occasion.
‘At so many levels you are fortunate to stand where you are today… you could have been injured or killed, or the other persons could have been injured or killed.
‘There’s no place for illicit drugs in our community, and there’s certainly no place for a person who is using illicit drugs to get behind the wheel of a car.
‘You’ve got to learn from this.’
But a leading Sydney criminal lawyer Paul McGirr has also said he would be ‘extremely surprised if the Crown didn’t appeal this particular matter.’
Mam has spoken of his remorse at the incident, offering an apology to those involved in the incident
He told The Daily Telegraph: ‘As a criminal lawyer I don’t like commenting on lenient sentences but certainly this sentence was extremely lenient.
“There are two objectives in sentencing. One is specific deterrence, and I’m sure Mr Mam will learn from this as he told everybody in his prepared speech, and secondly, is general deterrence.
‘The great concern I have is the fact other 21-year-olds who look up to these icons, see a man the same age who has had a cocktail of drugs, knowing he shouldn’t drive because he’s lost his licence, get into a vehicle, write off two vehicles and injure three people.
‘I ask the question: Does this sentence pass the pub test in respect to a fine and no conviction? From the people I have spoken with and other legal professionals, it well and truly fails the pub test. And I say that as a criminal defence lawyer.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .