Wed Sep 11 05:08:00 UTC 2024: ## Newcastle Bus Crash Driver Sentenced to 32 Years in Prison
**Newcastle, NSW -** Brett Andrew Button, the driver responsible for the tragic bus crash that killed 10 people and injured 29 others in June 2023, has been sentenced to 32 years in prison with a non-parole period of 24 years. The sentence was handed down by Judge Ellis in Newcastle District Court on Wednesday.
Button, 59, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death, nine counts of causing grievous bodily harm, and 16 counts of driving furiously causing bodily harm. The bus, carrying 35 wedding guests, rolled on a roundabout in the Hunter Valley on June 11, 2023, while en route from a wedding reception to Singleton.
The court heard that Button’s driving was impaired by prescription opioid painkillers, and he was driving too fast while showing off to passengers, ignoring their pleas to slow down. The impact of the crash left families devastated, with many suffering both physical and mental trauma.
During a powerful victim impact statement, Leoni Bowey, who lost her niece Kyah McBride and sister Nadene McBride in the crash, said she was initially skeptical of the justice system, but the sentence brought a sense of relief. “It will never bring back my beautiful sister Nadene, it will never bring back my sassy niece Kyah,” she said, visibly emotional.
Ameliah Bowey, Kyah’s cousin and Nadene’s niece, expressed that while the sentence couldn’t bring back the victims, she hoped it would prevent such a tragedy from happening again. “We all went into that courtroom knowing that nothing that judge did would bring our loved ones back. But, at the very least, I can hope that no one has to sit in that witness chair, ever again, for the same circumstance,” she said.
Judge Ellis, who has served in the legal system for over 50 years, described the case as “the most devastating” he had ever encountered. He noted that Button, as a professional driver, had a duty of care to ensure the safety of his passengers, a responsibility he failed to fulfill.
Button, who will be in his 80s by the time he becomes eligible for release in 2048, expressed deep remorse for his actions, stating, “I’ve tried to figure out the words to say ‘I’m sorry’, but how do you say you’re sorry for such a horrible, tragic event that has ruined the lives of hundreds of people?”
The sentencing marked the end of a harrowing three-day hearing, during which family members, survivors, and the injured shared their grief and pain. The victims included husband and wife Andrew and Lynan Scott, Singleton doctor Rebecca Mullen, Angus Craig, Darcy Bulman, mother and daughter Nadene and Kyah McBride, Kane Symons, Zach Bray, and AFL Roosterettes captain Tori Cowburn.
First Piper 