- Brett Button flanked by family and friends in court
- Fight back tears as lawyer read the statement on his behalf
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A bus driver charged over the fatal crash that tragically killed 10 wedding guests says he is devastated by what happened and is ‘deeply sorry’ for the victims and their families.
Brett Andrew Button is facing 89 charges following the crash at Greta in the NSW Hunter Valley on June 11.
Button arrived at Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday flanked by family and friends.
He fought back tears as his lawyer Chris O’Brien read a brief statement on Button’s behalf to media outside court.
Bus driver Brett Button appeared at Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday, where his solicitor read out a statement on behalf of his clients
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think about what happened that day, that night,” the statement read.
“Not an hour goes by when I don’t think about the families.
‘I really feel for everyone involved, including the emergency services.
‘I am devastated by what has happened and I am truly and deeply sorry for that.’
Wednesday was the first time Button had been ordered to appear in court since last June, when he was charged with the deaths of 10 people and wounding 25 others.
It is also the first time in nine months that Button has been publicly pictured.
He appeared briefly before Judge Ian Cheetham on Wednesday, where Mr O’Brien said an initial case conference had been held with NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions lawyers.
Sir. O’Brien said discussions were continuing.
Cheetham agreed to adjourn the case to April 3 and continued Button’s bail.
He had previously been excused from appearing in court since he was charged because he was legally represented.
Button faces a total of 89 charges after 10 counts of manslaughter and 16 of causing bodily harm by ‘crazy or furious driving’ were added to his previous charges when the case was mentioned in court in January.
He has not yet entered a plea to the charges.
Bus driver Brett Button says he is deeply sorry for the 10 victims (all pictured) and their families
The crash shook the close-knit town of Singleton, where many of the 10 victims were from. Many of those killed were also part of the Singleton Roosters AFL club.
They included Nadene McBride and her daughter, Kyah, 22; Kyah’s boyfriend Kane Symons, 21, Andrew Scott, 35, and his wife Lynan, 33; Tori Cowburn, 29, bride-to-be Rebecca Mullen, Zach Bray, 29; Angus Craig, 28, from Queensland and Darcy Bulman, 30, from Melbourne.
All the other 25 wedding guests on board were also injured.
The victims – and other wedding guests – had traveled from all over the country to attend the wedding of Maddy Edsell and Mitchell Gaffney.
Button allegedly lost control of a bus taking 35 wedding guests from the Wandin Valley Estate to Singleton at around 10am. 23.30 on 11 June.
Brett Andrew Button faces 89 charges over the late-night bus crash in the NSW Hunter Valley last June. The picture shows the scene of the accident the day after
The bus crashed into a guard rail and rolled onto its side.
Button has been accused of taking the roundabout on Wine Country Drive at Greta too fast, allegedly telling some passengers to ‘fasten their seat belts’ before the fatal crash in thick fog.
Button was initially charged with 10 counts each of dangerous driving and negligent driving causing death, 9 counts of dangerous driving and negligent driving causing grievous bodily harm and 25 counts of causing grievous bodily harm in the course of duty when he drove the 57- seats Volvo bus and caused it. to roll over on the back.