Bus crash families confront Brett Button in court

Brett Button was behind the wheel when his bus rolled and killed 10 people. On Monday, he heard from the many families who lost their children, partners and best friends.

Friends and families of the victims arrive at Newcastle Court for the sentencing of Brett Button, the driver behind the wheel of a wedding bus when it crashed in NSW’s Hunter Valley killing 10 people and injuring 25 more. Picture: NewsWire/ Adam Yip

One after another, dozens of parents, siblings and partners stood in front of Brett Button and the court, and attempted to put into words the overwhelming pain of living without their loved ones some 15 months after he crashed a wedding bus in the Hunter Valley.

On June 11, 2023, Button drove 35 guests 15 minutes home to Singleton after they had celebrated the wedding of their friends Mitchell Gaffney and Madeleine Edsell at Wandin Valley Estate. Passengers told him to slow down and that they were afraid, before the bus rolled on a roundabout about 11.30pm near Greta. It was later revealed he was addicted to opioids.

Brett Button arrives at Newcastle court in May. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

The 10 who died were Nadene and her daughter Kyah McBride, Kane Symons, who was also Kyah’s partner, Andrew and his wife Lynan Scott, Zach Bray, Angus Craig, Tori Cowburn, Rebecca Mullen and Darcy Bulman. Most were in their 20s and early 30s. Twenty-five others were badly injured.

At the top of the sentence hearing, Judge Roy Ellis called the proceedings “unprecedented”.

“Never before have so many people been killed or injured in a single motor vehicle incident,” he said.

Lynan’s mother Lindy Muldoon said she would never recover “because losing a child is inconceivable to any parent.”

“I’d give anything to see her beaming smile again.”

Warren Bulman leaves court. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Adam Yip

Diana, who called her daughter Darcy “my sunflower girl”, said she had to live with the “excruciatingly painful and traumatic memory of Darcy’s death” but that “this statement is the USB stick of my traumas and I pass it directly to Mr Button to keep.”

Through a support worker, Darcy’s mother told the court she believed she had failed her daughter.

“I wasn’t there to shield her from the horrific injuries she sustained ... I wasn’t there to gently stroke her face and her hair and tell her how deeply I loved her. I wasn’t there to tell her she wasn’t alone. I wasn’t there to kiss her goodbye as she died.”

Friends and family's of the victims arriving at the sentencing of Brett Button. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Adam Yip

Darcy’s father Warren said her death was “completely avoidable” and told Button he never hated anyone before he came along.

Nick Dinakis, who planned to propose to Darcy on a long-awaited trip to Europe this year, also addressed Button directly.

Mr Dinakis was on the bus, breaking his neck and suffering a brain injury which he may never recover from.

“You killed her. You took away her opportunity to become the one thing she always dreamt of - a mother. We both came from broken families and together we had created our own ... You killed my family, the future mother of my children, my future wife, my best friend.”

He said that he had found his “one true love” and Button “took it away”.

“Darcy was and always will be my unconditional love”.

In May, Button pleaded guilty to 10 charges of dangerous driving occasioning death, after prosecutors dropped 10 manslaughter charges against him. Button also pleaded guilty to nine counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and 16 counts of drive furiously in a motor vehicle causing bodily harm.

Some families said they made peace with the manslaughter charges being dropped against Button, but others had not.

Leanne and Matt Mullen at Newcastle Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Adam Yip

Rebecca’s father Matthew told Button it had been devastating to learn the facts of that night and the selfish, arrogant choices and events beforehand that “directly caused Bec’s death”.

“Your actions in my eyes, I strongly believe constitute manslaughter,” he told Button.

Bec was soon to be married, he told the court. She wanted a family, and had recently become a GP.

Over some 50 minutes, Graham McBride, whose wife and only daughter Nadene and Kyah died in the crash, poured his heart into the courtroom. He also suffered severe injuries as a result of the crash and said he was in “constant pain”.

He told the court he just wanted to sit with them around the dinner table, hold them again, and kiss Nadine when she woke up.

“I would describe my marriage with Nadine as being pretty bloody awesome. She’s my best friend, my soulmate, my lover, my drinking buddy. She was not the type to hold your hand and skip down the road and blow you kisses, but she did radiate love from inside and it felt beautiful, just being in her presence,” he said.

Kyah, on the other hand, he described as his “pride and joy”.

“I once told Nadine I wanted seven boys. I got more than that in one Kyah. She as a wonderful daughter, a joy to be around, an accomplished tradesperson, sportsperson, she had a big network of friends and was always fun to be around.”

Angus’ sister Georgia said she was “angry at a man who got behind a wheel on 11 June, 2023, knowing his ability to drive was impaired” but that she was “mainly sad”.

Judge Ellis said while Button would serve a lengthy custodial sentence “no sentence that this court imposes will bring back loved ones”.