Brett Button has lodged an intention to appeal sentence over Hunter Valley bus crash

Brett Button has lodged an intention to appeal the 32-year jail term he received for killing 10 passengers and injuring a further 25 people in the horror Hunter Valley bus crash.

Killer bus driver Brett Button is set to appeal his maximum 32-year jail term for killing 10 passengers, and injuring a further 25 people, in the horror Hunter wedding crash last year.

The NSW Supreme Court confirmed on Friday that lawyers for the 59-year-old filed an intention to appeal the sentence, which included a 24-year non-parole period, to the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal.

The notice of intention to appeal is a preliminary document indicating Button’s intention to challenge the sentence and had to be made within four weeks of the decision.

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His defence team will now have time to organise their appeal.

In sentencing Button on Wednesday following an harrowing three day hearing, Newcastle District Court Judge Roy Ellis made the head sentence of 32 years after partially accumulation the 35 charges Button had been facing, including 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death, nine counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and, and 16 counts of driving furiously in a motor vehicle to cause bodily harm.

Brett Button arrives at Newcastle court surrounded with family and friends. Picture: Jeremy Piper

On each of the death counts, and taking into account a 25 per cent discount for Button’s guilty plea, Judge Ellis sentenced the driver to a maximum of four-and-a-half years.

His ranges for each of the grievous bodily harm counts ranged from one year and 10 months to two years and seven months.

“I’ve been involved in the justice system for over 50 years, with the last 21 years as a judge of the district court. I have never seen anywhere near the extreme devastation to so many individuals and families as has become absolutely clear in relation to this offending,” Judge Ellis said.

He also added: “The last two days graphically painted the picture of devastation caused by the offending. Surviving passengers described the trauma of their injuries and the scenes of the bus crash, with unwanted memories of the carnage still present and easily triggered.”

Judge Ellis also said: “The sentence will never bring back deceased loved ones, heal the physical injuries of the survivors, or heal the heartache and loss suffered by the families of the 10 deceased.”

One year on: The Hunter bus crash remembered

Hunter Valley bus driver Brett Button: Agreed facts reveal timeline to horror crash

Earlier, Button sobbed as he apologised to survivors and the families of 10 people who died when he crashed a bus full of wedding guests in the Hunter Valley more than 15 months ago.

Button has sat in the Newcastle District Court dock since Monday, listening to dozens of harrowing victim impact statements detailing the devastating loss, grief and anger following the Greta tragedy.

”I’ve tried to figure out the words to say I’m sorry, but how do you say sorry for such a horrible tragic event that’s ruined the lives of hundreds of people,” Button said in a broken voice.

Brett Button, 59, appeared before Newcastle District Court. Court Sketch: NewsWire/ Rocco Fazzari

“I can’t forgive myself, I can’t believe I caused this, I never meant to cause it.”

The court has heard Button had exceeded his prescribed dosage of Tramadol, a prescription painkiller, on the day of the crash – and he accepts it impaired his driving, along with the speed at which he approached the roundabout where the bus rolled.

The horror bus crash in the Hunter Valley over night has claimed 10 lives. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

Darcy Bulman, Rebecca Mullen, Zachary Bray, Andrew Scott and his wife Lynan Scott, Tori Cowburn, Angus Craig, Nadene McBride, her daughter Kyah McBride and Kyah’s partner Kane Symons were all killed in the tragedy.

Another 25 wedding guests were injured – with multiple passengers suffering broken necks and other grievous injuries in the carnage.

“I live with this every day and I hate myself, I never meant to hurt anyone in my entire life,” Button wept.

“It’s completely the opposite of everything we’re taught all our lives – I’ve caused parents to have to bury their children and I’ve done it to so many families.

“I hate myself, I want to disappear.”

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