Hunter Valley wedding bus driver Brett Button, who described feeling ashamed for committing the "ultimate sin" when he crashed his vehicle, killing 10 people and injured 25, has been jailed for 32 years.
Newcastle District Court Judge Roy Ellis said on Wednesday that Button, 59, had been clearly impaired by the prescription opioid painkiller Tramadol when driving too fast and engaging in risk-taking behaviour before
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Judge Ellis said the 33 victim impact statements read to the court and the nine tendered victim impact statements from family members of those killed and the surviving passengers during Button's three-day sentence hearing "graphically painted the picture of devastation caused by this offending".
The judge said in his more than 50 years of being involved in the judicial system, 21 years as a judge, he was unaware of any other case of such magnitude which had had such a devastating impact on so many people.
He said Button had significantly breached the duty of care he owed his passengers and abandoned his responsibilities.
Button was sentenced to 32 years' jail with a non-parole period of 24 years for causing one of Australia's deadliest crashes.
Brett Button: 'I'm ashamed'
Giving evidence in his defence earlier on Wednesday, Button admitted taking more than the prescribed amount of the opioid Tramadol before the crash.
"I'm ashamed," Button told the court.
"I can't forgive myself. I can't believe I caused this. I never meant to cause this.
"I truly wish it never happened."
He said he had committed the "ultimate sin" and caused parents to have to bury their children.
"I'm sorry to everyone involved. I've shamed everyone."
Button claimed he had been using Tramadol since 1994 and had developed a tolerance to the opioid he used to relieve pain.
"I wouldn't have taken it if I thought it was a risk to my driving ability," Button said.
He had taken a total of 350mg of Tramadol on the day when doctors told him the daily maximum dose was 200mg.
Button lost control of the bus taking 35 wedding guests from the Wandin Valley Estate to Singleton about 11.30pm on 11 June last year after taking a roundabout on Wine Country Drive at Greta too fast in thick fog.
The 10 people who died in the crash were: Darcy Bulman, Nadene McBride and her daughter, Kyah, Kane Symons, Andrew Scott and his wife Lynan, Zach Bray, Angus Craig, Tori Cowburn, and Rebecca Mullen.
Many on board were members of the Singleton Roosters Australian rules football club and had earlier attended the wedding.
Button has pleaded guilty to 10 charges of dangerous driving causing death, nine counts of driving causing grievous bodily harm and 16 counts of causing bodily harm by wanton driving.
Families speak after verdict
Following the sentencing, Leoni Bowey, whose sister Nadene McBridge and 22-year-old niece Kyah died in the crash, said she was surprised by the "tremendous" sentence but it would never bring them back.
"Our lives have changed forever," Bowey told reporters.
Leoni Bowey backed the bus driver's sentence but said nothing would bring their loved ones back. Source: AAP / Dan Himbrechts
Her daughter Ameliah expressed similar sentiment about the sentence.
"We all went into that courtroom knowing that nothing that judge did would bring our loved ones back," she said.
"Addiction is a disease, I'll admit that, but no matter what he was still responsible for all those lives, for being the one to bring all those people home and he had to take accountability for that."
The 10 people who died in the crash were: Darcy Bulman, Nadene McBride and her daughter, Kyah, Kane Symons, Andrew Scott and his wife Lynan, Zach Bray, Angus Craig, Tori Cowburn and Rebecca Mullen.
