Hunter Valley wedding bus crash: Brett Andrew Button pleads guilty to dangerous driving

The driver responsible for the deadly NSW Hunter Valley bus crash that killed ten people celebrating a wedding has pleaded guilty to a string of dangerous driving charges.

In return for his guilty plea to lesser charges, Brett Andrew Button, 59, prosecutors have agreed to withdraw all of his manslaughter charges arising from the June 2023 smash that killed 10 people and injured dozens more.

He pleaded guilty to 10 counts of dangerous driving causing death, nine counts of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm and 16 counts of furious driving causing bodily harm.

Prosecutors to have Button remanded in custody pending sentencing –  a move that defence lawyers did not oppose – after having previously been free on bail.

He was not required to enter pleas to back-up charges including negligent driving causing death.

Another 25 charges of causing bodily harm by misconduct were withdrawn.

Button arrived at Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday flanked by a pack of around a dozen supporters.

He did not say anything to a large group of waiting media.

Button lost control of a bus carrying wedding guests as he drove from the Wandin Valley Estate to Singleton at about 11.30pm on June 11.

The bus flipped onto its side after hitting a guard rail.

Button has previously apologised for the incident, telling reporters outside court in March he was ‘devastated by what has occurred’ and that he was ‘truly and deeply sorry’.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has declined to comment on the reason for the manslaughter charges being withdrawn.

Button had been on bail after initially being granted release due to mental health and wellbeing concerns should he be kept in custody.

Families slam ‘betrayal’  

Matt Mullen, the father of Rebecca Mullen who died in the crash, issued a plea to the Director of Public Prosecutions to not drop the manslaughter charges.

‘I begged them, we are still waiting now in the process hoping that they will reconsider,’ Mr Mullen told 7News.

‘It is a tattoo on our hearts that we are going to have to carry the rest of our lives forever.’

His wife Leanne said the news of downgraded charges, which the families were told of only 36 hours before Button’s hearing, had been devastating.

‘As a a mum to be able to hold her while she was still warm, to hold her hand, to kiss her on the forehead to tell her the things I needed to say that was denied because it was a crime scene,’ she said.

‘But now that seem to me that those sacrifices by me as a mum have been disrespected.’

Montana Bray, whose 30-year-old brother Zach Bray died in the crash, said the news hit her hard.

‘I feel disrespected and I feel like they’re trying to move things quickly and quietly,’ she said.

‘The 10 people who did die on that bus deserve more than this.’