Driver facing 52 extra charges for Hunter Valley bus tragedy

The bus driver in the horror Hunter Valley smash that claimed the lives of 10 wedding guests in June is expected to be charged with a further 52 offences.

Brett Button, 58, was at the wheel of a coach on June 11 transporting 35 guests from the wedding of couple Maddy Edsell and Mitchell Gaffney at Lovedale to Singleton when the vehicle rolled over at a roundabout on Wine Country Drive near the Hunter Expressway off-ramp at Greta.

Brett Button is set to face 52 extra charges from the Hunter Valley bus tragedy.

Ten of the passengers died which included a junior medical officer with Hunter New England Local Health District, Rebecca Mullen, football-mad mother and daughter Kyah and Nadene McBride, and bowel cancer survivor Zach Bray.

Two days later, Button appeared before Cessnock Local Court where he was charged with 11 driving offences including 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and one count of negligent driving occasioning death.

Button was released on conditional bail, with the magistrate describing the driver as “a man who is suffering”.

The new court listings for Button include an extra 52 offences that would bring the total to 63 charges, including dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, causing bodily harm by misconduct and negligent driving.

Ten bus passengers were killed in the Hunter Valley crash on June 11.

During Button’s first court appearance in June, a police prosecutor argued against his bail, saying there were 10 witnesses who said Button engaged in a “prolonged” period of unsafe driving.

The court heard Button allegedly told passengers to “fasten your seatbelts”.

Button is set to next appear in court on August 9.

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