Hunter bus crash: Brett Button formally pleads guilty to 10 counts of dangerous driving causing death, nine counts of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm
Killer bus driver Brett Button sat quietly in Cessnock jail and one-by-one replied “guilty” to 19 charges relating to the horror Hunter bus crash.
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Guilty, your honour.
In a tragedy which killed 10 people, injured a further 25, shattered the lives of hundreds and impacted a community in the thousands, they were three words muttered 19 times in seven harrowing minutes on Thusday that sealed the fate of Hunter bus crash driver Brett Button.
The 59-year-old, wearing black-rimmed glasses and dressed in prison-issued greens, sat with his hands together looking on via an audio-visual link from Shortland Correctional Centre at Cessnock as Newcastle District Court Judge Peter McGrath slowly went through each of the 19 charges against Button.
Judge McGrath began with the first count, that Button on June 11, 2023 at Greta drove in a manner dangerous occasioning the death of Darcy Bulman.
“Guilty, your honour,” Button replied.
The counts continued - one by painful one.
How did Button plead to dangerous driving causing the deaths of 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.
“Guilty, your honour,” Button replied to each of the charges.
Judge McGrath then turned his attention to nine counts of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm, reading each count separately involving victims Sharyn Junker, Emma Healey, Dylan Burns, Graeme McBride, Nikiforos Dinakis, Jenny Warren, Luke Warren, Brandon Stafford and Tyrone Gersh-Mizen.
“Guilty, your honour,” Button replied each time.
Button’s daughter broke down in tears in court when she saw her father appear on the court’s TV screens from a stark grey video link room inside Cessnock jail.
She was comforted by Button’s wife, who wrapped her arm around the woman’s shoulder in a show of support.
The court heard there was also related charges, including 16 counts of cause bodily harm by wanton driving, which Button did not need to formally enter pleas to.
The wanton driving charges relate to the other 16 passengers injured in the crash – Jason Junker, Nicholas Cox, Hannah Cox, Laura Healey, Gregory Warren, Megan Hooper, Eleanor De Forest, Nicholas Oremek, Sarah Mousley, Cameron White, Isabella Liddy, Jack Ellis, Drew El Moussalli, Samantha Sandoval, Alexander Tigani and Samuel Howard.
Solicitor Chris O’Brien, for Button, said barrister Paul Rosser KC had been briefed for the sentencing proceedings.
The facts were also formally tendered by prosecutors.
Judge McGrath told the court that the sentencing proceedings for Button would more likely last days rather than hours, and adjourned the matter to organised dates for the sentencing hearing to June 13.
The sentencing hearing is expected to last days, with a huge number of victim impact statements to be heard as well as submissions from Button’s defence and prosecutors.
Speaking outside court, Leanne Mullen, the mother of crash victim Rebecca Mullen, said she wanted to be in court to represent her daughter.
“I’ve been here every time, so I do that to be her eyes, ears, her voice if I need to,” she said.
Mrs Mullen said once the sentencing proceedings were finalised, she would turn her attention to law reform around issues of vehicular manslaughter.
“Lets look at that when we’re done, but yes, probably eventually, hopefully something good can come out of this, that would be the hope,” she said when asked about reforms.
Meanwhile, defence lawyer Chris O’Brien remained tight lipped about how his client was holding up in jail when approached by media outside court, declining to comment.
Button’s family, including his wife and daughter, were in court to support him but left without comment.
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