The driver at the centre of the Hunter Valley wedding bus tragedy is appealing his record 32-year prison sentence, just months after being sentenced over one of the most devastating crashes in New South Wales history.
Brett Button, who was behind the wheel when a bus carrying wedding guests rolled on a roundabout near Greta in June 2023, has lodged an official appeal against his sentence, arguing it was “manifestly excessive.”
Button was convicted of 10 counts of dangerous driving causing death and 25 counts of causing bodily harm, after the bus crash killed 10 people and injured 25 more, shaking the Hunter community and prompting a statewide review of charter bus safety.
At the time, the court imposed one of the longest jail terms ever seen for a driving offence in NSW — a 32-year sentence with a 20-year non-parole period.
What Happens Next?
The NSW Court of Criminal Appeal will now consider the application. If successful, Button’s sentence could be reduced.
The appeal is expected to raise legal and ethical questions around sentencing, road safety standards, and accountability in the wake of one of the state’s worst modern road disasters.