Hunter Valley bus crash decision a ‘kick in the teeth’: Father of son killed in collision lashes out after manslaughter charges are dropped against the driver
A distraught father, whose son was one of 10 people killed in the Hunter Valley bus crash, said the victims’ family had been “sold a bit of a story” after manslaughter charges against the driver were dropped.
Brett Andrew Button, 59, instead pleaded guilty to 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death, nine counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and 16 counts of angry driving occasioning bodily harm in the June crash 2023.
Adam Bray, whose son Zach, 29, died in the tragedy, told A Current Affair that the charge reduction was ‘more than a kick in the teeth’.
“It reopens wounds and triggers and it obviously causes some anger, but I’m trying to be balanced and stick to the facts and hopefully we can get some positive results,” Mr Bray said.
‘Thirty-six hours in court (on Wednesday) all the families were told they had sold a bit of a story to be honest… that’s extremely disappointing and I’ll keep fighting.’
Adam Bray (pictured), whose son Zach, 29, died in the 2023 Hunter Valley bus crash, said the reduction in charges against the driver was ‘more than a kick in the teeth’
Brett Andrew Button, 59, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death, nine counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and 16 counts of angry driving occasioning bodily harm in the June 2023 crash
He said that just five weeks ago there were “89 charges, including 10 charges of manslaughter” against Button.
Mr Bray said the reduction in charges was “completely wrong, and should these 10 lives be taken to improve the safety of buses and coaches in Australia?”
The devastated father’s response came after it emerged Button was a drug addict and had prescription painkillers in his system when he crashed the bus.
“It is criminal to drive a vehicle, a heavy vehicle in Australia, especially with 35 passengers on board, if you are medicated,” Mr Bray said.
“So there’s no balance in reducing costs to lower costs.”
The bus, returning from a wedding reception, rolled into a roundabout near Greta, in the NSW Hunter Valley, on June 11 last year, killing 10 people and injuring 25 others.
In addition to Zach Bray, mother and daughter Nadene and Kyah McBride, Kyah’s boyfriend Kane Symons, husband and wife Andrew and Lynan Scott, Angus Craig, Darcy Bulman, Tori Cowburn and Rebecca Mullen died.
Mr Bray was in tears as he referred to his son as an “incredible man” who had recently overcome stage 3 bowel cancer.
He said the dropped manslaughter charge left him feeling emotionally “pretty much back to square one” and that it was “another huge challenge.”
Zach Bray (right), one of 10 people killed in the 2023 Hunter Valley bus crash, is pictured with his father Adam
The bus (pictured) rolled onto its side after Button lost control while transporting wedding guests
‘We will do our best to get through it, but also try to reform the law so that ten beautiful people did not die in vain.
“It’s far from fair, let’s try to get behind the government, try to get behind the attorney general, try to find out public opinion, let’s try to create some fairness, that’s all we can do.”
When the manslaughter charge in Rebecca Mullen’s death was dismissed Wednesday, her father Matt began sobbing loudly and visibly reacting.
Outside court, he told reporters he had not slept all night as he awaited the Crown’s public announcement that it would drop the charges.
Despite his pain, Mr Mullen still managed to find compassion for others affected by the fatal accident.
“Our hearts and thoughts go out to the driver’s family,” he said.
Rebecca’s mother Leanne said she disapproved of the Crown’s decision but it was just a small part of the pain she felt at the loss of her daughter.
She said she would wait to see what happened at Button’s sentencing.
Leanne said the news of the reduced charges, which the families learned just 36 hours before Button’s hearing, was devastating.
“As a mother, I could hold her while she was still warm, hold her hand, kiss her on the forehead and tell her the things I needed to say, but I was denied because it was a crime scene,” she said.
“But now it seems to me that those sacrifices of mine as a mother have not been respected.”
Bride and groom Mitchell Gaffney and Madeleine Edsell are pictured at a public memorial for those killed and injured in the bus crash with their wedding guests on June 11, 2023