Driver who killed 10 passengers in horror wedding bus crash makes shameless legal move

By William On Sep 13, 2024

The driver of a bus that crashed, killing ten young passengers attending a wedding, is appealing his sentence.

Brett Button, 59, was behind the wheel of the bus taking guests back from the festivities when the bus crashed in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales on June 11 last year, killing 10 people and injuring 25.

On Friday, the New South Wales Supreme Court confirmed that Button’s lawyers had filed a notice of appeal with the New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal against his maximum sentence of 32 years in prison, 24 of which will be without the possibility of parole.

The notice of intention to appeal to the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal is the first step in the appeal process.

This indicates that Button intended to appeal the sentence, which had to be done within four weeks of the verdict.

Button was sentenced before Judge Roy Ellis at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday afternoon. He will be eligible for parole on May 7, 2048.

Button was driving guests back to Singleton in the evening fog after a reception at the Wandin Valley Estate, two hours’ drive north of Sydney, when the bus overturned at a roundabout near Greta.

Brett Button, 59, was sentenced on Wednesday afternoon by Judge Roy Ellis at Newcastle Crown Court to 32 years in prison with a non-parole period of 24 years, commencing on May 8.

The families of the victims and survivors filled the packed courtroom after statements from 33 victims were read to Button and the judge.

Button’s sentence was reportedly met with loud “yes” and “thank you” from the judge.

In sentencing, Judge Ellis said Button was under the influence of the opioid painkiller tramadol and had “absconded with his responsibility” to his 35 passengers at the time of the crash.

“Words cannot adequately express the pain, anger and grief that permeated the first two days of these proceedings as victim impact statements were read out one after another by and to utterly devastated family members” of the deceased and their bereaved families, Judge Ellis said.

Andrew Scott, 35, his wife Lynan Scott, 33, Nadene McBride, 52, daughter Kyah McBride, 22, and her partner, Kane Symons, 21, Darcy Bulman, 30, Rebecca Mullen, 26, Zachary Bray, 29, Tori Cowburn, 29, and Angus Craig, 28, died in the crash.

Judge Ellis said that in his 50 years in the legal system he had “never dealt with, seen or even read about a case that caused even remotely such extreme devastation.”

“The surviving passengers described the trauma of their injuries and the images of the crash, with unwanted memories of the carnage still present and easily recalled,” Judge Ellis told the court.

The court found that Button was not only driving under the influence of the opioid tramadol, but was also guilty of risky behaviour and driving too fast to negotiate the roundabout.

Button was taking guests from a wedding reception at the Wandin Valley Estate, two hours north of Sydney, back to Singleton on June 11, 2023 when the bus overturned at a roundabout near Greta

The Hunter Valley resident had previously given evidence, telling survivors and families of his victims he was “ashamed” of what he had done and that he had committed “the ultimate sin”.

“I can’t forgive myself. I can’t believe I caused this,” he said.

‘I never had any intention in my entire life to hurt anyone, and now I have committed the greatest sin.

‘I’ve made sure that parents had to bury their children. I’ve done it for so many families.

“I hate myself and I want to disappear.”

The court was told that on the day of the horrific accident, Button had taken “significantly more” than the prescribed dose of tramadol, a painkiller that provides short-term relief and is abused like opioids.

Button (pictured) told survivors and families of his victims he was “ashamed” of what he had done and that he had committed “the ultimate sin”

The court was told that Button had been using tramadol since the 1990s and was dismissed by his previous employer in 2022 after a pain specialist diagnosed him as addicted to the painkiller.

Button pleaded guilty earlier this year to 19 charges, including 10 counts of dangerous driving causing death and nine counts of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm.

At least 40 survivors and families of victims testified in court about the impact of the crash on their lives and the loss of loved ones during two emotional days.

Relatives of the victims and survivors had previously said they had lost faith in the justice system after Button’s manslaughter charge was dropped as part of a plea agreement in exchange for 10 counts of dangerous driving causing death.