Fatal mistake sees mother accidentally kill her own daughter
A mother who killed her daughter and another woman when she ran her car over them during a frantic parking lot brawl has been sentenced to at least three years in jail.
The NSW woman, Linda Britton went to trial in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court in 2022 where she was found guilty of two counts of manslaughter over the deaths of her own daughter Skye Luland, 24, and another woman Kazzandra Widders, 20.
Both Ms Luland and Ms Widders died as a result of the massive brawl in the parking lot of a Nambucca Heads shopping centre on September 28, 2019.
Britton was driving when she intentionally drove her car toward Ms Widders and Ms Luland who were fighting on the ground.
Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court saw heated moments inside and out as both sets of families headed into the court to learn Britton’s fate.
During the trial, Britton argued that she drove toward the two in an attempt to save her daughter, who she thought was at serious risk of being harmed or killed and was only trying to nudge Ms Widders.
Her Daewoo ended up mounting the gutters and a grassed area before it reached a stop on top of the two women, crushing them.
Both families arrived at the court wearing shirts printed with the images of their respective loved ones.
Ms Widders’ family wore shirts that read, “there can be no peace without justice”, while Britton wore a shirt with the image of her daughter.
Judge Sarah Huggett sentenced Britton to six years in jail with a non-parole period.
With time served, she will be eligible for release as early as January 2026.
“We love you mum,” Britton’s supporters yelled as she was taken away in handcuffs.
Outside of the court, Ms Widders’ sister Naomi Widders shared her frustration at the sentence.
“Two lives are gone and someone’s serving three years before they can receive parole,” she said outside the court.
“That is not worth my sister’s life.”
After Britton pleaded not guilty to manslaughter she was found guilty by a jury.
The court heard that Ms Luland and Ms Widders had also been involved in a separate altercation earlier in the evening before the frenzied brawl began.
Judge Huggett described the atmosphere as “charged, chaotic and frightening”, noting that Britton’s decision to steer toward the women was “spur of the moment” and made in “extreme panic”.
She said that Britton reacted “instinctively” doing what she thought was necessary to save her daughter.
Judge Huggett also noted that Britton suffered injuries as a result of the altercation, leaving her with a fractured wrist and thumb.
“In all the circumstances, while her response to that threat was excessive, it was not excessive by a significant margin,” she said.
Britton later told authorities that her only intention was to nudge Ms Widders off her daughter with her bumper bar.
“I just saw Skye getting bashed and hit and hit and hit and hit. I didn’t know what to do,” Britton was recorded telling the police.
“I thought I would just push her off Skye with the bumper bar of my car.
“I thought that girl was going to kill her and I ended up killing my own daughter. It’s all my fault.”
Britton said that she was worried for her daughter’s life because she saw Ms Widders on top of her daughter landing multiple punches.
After the fatal incident, both women had to be freed from under Britton’s car.
Despite attempts to revive the two, both were declared dead at the scene.
Image credit: Facebook