Hunter Valley Bus Tragedy: Court Upholds Massive 32-Year Sentence.

The New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal has confirmed the 32-year jail sentence handed to Brett Andrew Button, the driver behind the horrific Hunter Valley wedding-bus crash that killed 10 people and injured dozens more in June 2023. Button had attempted to challenge his sentence—24 years of which must be served before parole—but the state’s highest criminal court ruled the punishment was fair and proportionate to the devastation he caused.

Button pleaded guilty to 35 charges, including 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and multiple counts of grievous bodily harm, after speeding a bus through a roundabout at more than 56 km/h—far above the safe tipping speed. Investigators found he had taken an excessive amount of the opioid painkiller Tramadol, well beyond his prescribed dosage, significantly impairing his ability to drive safely.

The Court rejected all three of Button’s appeal arguments, finding he knew he was affected by the drug, that any minor errors in the sentencing judge’s comments were irrelevant, and that the total sentence—imposed for one of the most catastrophic single-vehicle crashes in NSW history—was not excessive. The ruling means Button will remain behind bars until at least May 8, 2048, when he becomes eligible for parole.