- Brett Button flanked by family and friends in court
- Fight back tears as the attorney read the statement on his behalf
A bus driver charged in connection with the fatal crash that tragically killed 10 wedding guests says he is deeply shocked by what happened and has “deep regrets” to the victims and their families.
Brett Andrew Button is facing 89 charges over the overnight crash at Greta in the NSW Hunter Valley on June 11.
Button arrived at Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday, flanked by family and friends.
He fought back tears as his lawyer Chris O’Brien read a short statement to the media outside the court on behalf of Button.
Bus driver Brett Button appeared in Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday, where his lawyer read out a statement on behalf of his clients
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think about what happened that day and that night,” the statement said.
‘Not an hour goes by where I don’t think of the families.
‘I really sympathize with everyone involved, including the emergency services.
‘I am devastated by what happened and am truly and deeply sorry.’
Wednesday marked the first time Button was ordered held since last June, when he was charged with killing 10 people and injuring 25 others.
He appeared briefly before Magistrate Ian Cheetham on Wednesday, where Mr O’Brien said an initial case conference had been held with lawyers from the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Mr O’Brien said discussions continued.
Mr Cheetham agreed to adjourn the case until April 3 and continued Button’s bail.
He had previously been excused from attending court since he was charged because he had legal representation.
Button faces a total of 89 charges after 10 counts of manslaughter and 16 counts of causing bodily harm by ‘wilful or angry driving’ were added to his previous charges when the case was heard in court in January.
He has yet to enter pleas to the charges.
Bus driver Brett Button says he extends his deepest condolences to the ten victims (all pictured) and their families
The crash shocked the close-knit town of Singleton, where many of the 10 victims were from.
Among them were Nadene McBride and her daughter Kyah, 22; Kyah’s boyfriend Kane Symons, 21, Andrew Scott, 35, and his wife Lynan, 33; Tori Cowburn, 29, bride-to-be Rebecca Mullen, Zach Bray, 29; Angus Craig, 28, from Queensland and Darcy Bulman, 30, from Melbourne.
All other 25 wedding guests on board were also injured.
The victims – and other wedding guests – had traveled from across the country to attend the wedding of Maddy Edsell and Mitchell Gaffney.
Button reportedly lost control of a bus taking 35 wedding guests from the Wandin Valley Estate to Singleton at around 11.30pm on June 11.
The bus crashed into a guardrail and rolled onto its side.
Button is accused of taking the roundabout on Wine Country Drive near Greta too quickly, allegedly telling some passengers to “fasten your seat belts” before the fatal crash in dense fog.
Many on board were members of the Singleton Roosters Australian Rules Football club.
Button was originally charged with 10 charges of dangerous driving and negligent driving occasioning death, nine of dangerous driving and negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, and 25 charges of causing bodily harm by misconduct in driving the Volvo bus with 57 seats and causing it. roll onto his backside.