The driver of a bus that crashed and killed ten people, injuring 25, in NSW’s Hunter Valley has been sentenced to 32 years in jail.
Brett Button, 59, was driving guests from a Wedding reception two hours north of Sydney on June 11, 2023, when the bus flipped at a roundabout.
He was sentenced to 32 years behind bars with a non-parole period of 24 years beginning May 8 – he will be eligible for release on parole on May 7, 2048.
Button was driving under the influence of the opioid tramadol, was engaging in risk-taking behaviour, and was driving too fast for the roundabout, the court heard.
He pleaded guilty to ten counts of dangerous driving causing death and multiple counts of grievous bodily harm. Prosecutors dropped manslaughter charges in exchange for Button’s guilty pleas, sparking anger from some victims’ families.