Realizing the bus driver cannot face manslaughter charges again has crushed two dads who lost children in the infamous Hunter Valley bus crash.
The decision to dismiss severe charges against Brett Button as part of his plea agreement was appealed by the two dads, Matt Mullen and Adam Bray. They met with Attorney-General Michael Daley on Monday.
The manslaughter charges were withdrawn after Button pled guilty to ten counts of hazardous driving causing death; after an hour-long meeting with Mr. Daley, the two dads left feeling devastated by the outcome.
According to Mr. Bray, attention will now be directed to enhancing the DPP’s communication protocols and ensuring that Button is punished appropriately.
A great deal of progress has been made in communicating with the relatives of the fatalities and the survivors, Bray boasted.
With a guilty plea, Button may be eligible for a sentence reduction of 25% on the most serious counts against him, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Now, Button’s sentence of a few years in prison for murdering ten people and wounding twenty-five others is causing concern among the families of the victims of the terrible bus catastrophe that occurred near Greta in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales on June 11, 2023.
Both Mr. Mullen and Mr. Bray have consulted attorneys on the facts presented in the agreed statement of facts. Rebecca Mullen is a junior doctor in Newcastle, and Mr. Bray is a 29-year-old cancer survivor.
According to the document that Button signed, the motorist was impaired by the opiate painkiller Tramadol when the accident occurred.
The study determined that Button’s 400 mg of Tramadol would have impaired his driving skills. A bus company had already fired Button for his drug use, and he had been consuming the narcotic continuously since 2016.
Despite mandatory reporting requirements, there was no proof that Button informed his employer, Linq Buses, that he was using Tramadol on the evening of the accident.
Button concurred that the medicine had the potential to induce a variety of side effects, including depression of the respiratory system, euphoria, lethargy, mental fogginess, instability, problems with visual memory and functioning, understanding, focus, solving problems, and making decisions.
There are several legal and factual considerations in deciding whether to accept a guilty plea. Every time, the Prosecution Guidelines and the facts are carefully considered before making a judgment of this kind.
