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NSW Appeal Court Upholds 32-Year Term for Hunter Valley Bus Driver

The appeal court found the sentence lawful after rejecting claims of double-counting plus factual error.

Overview

  • Judges dismissed Brett Button’s appeal on Friday, leaving his 32-year sentence and 24-year non-parole period unchanged.
  • Button pleaded guilty to 35 offences after prosecutors dropped 10 manslaughter counts under a plea deal.
  • The court accepted findings that he drove too fast and was affected by Tramadol, with prosecutors arguing he knew the drug’s impact given a prior job dismissal over addiction.
  • Defence submissions alleging double-counting and disputing the bus’s 31 km/h tipping threshold were rejected as lacking material error.
  • The June 11, 2023 rollover near Greta killed 10 wedding guests and injured about 25 others, and Button will be eligible for parole in 2048.