Hunter Valley bus crash driver Brett Button reaches plea deal, manslaughter charges to be dropped
Hunter Valley bus crash driver Brett Button has reached a plea deal with prosecutors that will see all manslaughter charges against him dropped, it has been reported.
Police & Courts
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Hunter Valley bus crash driver Brett Button has reached a plea deal with prosecutors that will see all manslaughter charges against him dropped, it has been reported.
The 59-year-old is due to face Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday where he is expected to enter guilty pleas to multiple charges of dangerous driving occasioning death after weeks of negotiations between his legal team and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
In exchange for the pleas, the DPP will withdraw 10 counts of manslaughter against Button, Channel 7 reports.
Families of the 10 victims have told the media they are outraged by the development, while victim support service advocate Howard Brown labelled the decision “gutless”.
The DPP, meanwhile, is remaining tight-lipped about the news, instead warning Channel 7 it may be in breach of the law by reporting the families’ concerns.
Button was transporting 35 wedding guests from a venue in the Hunter Valley when he allegedly lost control of the coach on the night of June 11 last year.
The bus rolled over at a roundabout near Greta, killing 10 people and injuring 25 others.
Button was remanded in custody before being granted strict conditional bail on 89 charges related to the fatal crash.
Button addressed the media following a brief court hearing in March, telling reporters he was “devastated” by the incident.
In a statement read by his lawyer Chris O’Brien, Mr Button said there was “not a day that goes by that I don’t think about what happened that night”.
“There isn’t an hour that goes by that I’m not thinking of the families that have been affected by the crash,” he said at the time.
“I truly feel for anyone involved, including the emergency services.
“I am devastated by what has occurred and I am truly deeply sorry.”
However, families of the victims told Channel 7 their grief has now given way to anger after being told on Tuesday afternoon that Button’s charges would be downgraded after a formal plea deal was reached in his case.
Matt Mullen, the father of Rebecca Mullen, said he and his wife Leanne felt “betrayed” and “disrespected” by the decision.
“I begged them [the DPP] and we’re still waiting now in the process, hoping they will reconsider,” he said.
Mrs Mullen told Channel 7 as a mum she had wanted to hold her daughter’s hand “while she was still warm” and say her goodbyes but had not been able to because the crash site had been declared a crime scene.
“But now that seems to me like the sacrifices on my part as a mum have been disrespected,” she said.
Meanwhile, other parents said they felt “ripped off” “devastated” and described the DPP’s decision as “callous and cruel”.
Mr Howard labelled the move “gutless” and “the easy way out”, claiming the downgrading of the charges did not reflect the seriousness of the matter.
Montana Bray, the sister of Zach Bray, who died in the crash, said she was devastated by the move.
“I’m no legal expert but I know the 10 people who did die on that bus deserve more than this,” she said.
Button is due to face court at 9.30am on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the DPP declined to comment on the case, saying the matter was still before the court.
However, they issued the same warning to the Telegraph regarding a potential breach of the law.
“Please note negotiations between the parties may be ‘case conference material’ with respect to which there is a statutory prohibition against publication...” the spokesperson said.
Mr O’Brien has been contacted for comment.
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