The police case against bus driver Brett Button who allegedly caused the deaths of 10 people and injured 25 in one of the country’s worst road accidents has been finalised.
Button’s case was briefly mentioned in Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday.
Defence barrister Chris O’Brien said the matter would be adjourned by consent to next January for charge certification after the police brief of evidence had been completed and handed to Button.
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Charge certification involves the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions determining exactly what charges Button will face when the case moves forward to the NSW District Court.
Button, 59, who’s on bail and did not have to appear in court on Wednesday because he is legally represented, has not entered a plea to the 63 charges he is currently facing.
He allegedly lost control of a bus taking wedding guests from the Wandin Valley Estate to Singleton in the Hunter Valley about 11.30pm on June 11.
The bus slammed into a guard rail and rolled on to its side.
Button has been accused of taking the roundabout on Wine Country Drive at Greta too fast, allegedly telling some passengers to “fasten your belts” before the fatal crash.
Many on board were members of the Singleton Roosters Australian Rules Football club.
Button has been charged with 10 counts each of dangerous driving and negligent driving causing death, nine counts each of dangerous driving and negligent driving causing grievous bodily harm, and 25 counts of causing bodily harm by misconduct when driving the 57-seat Volvo bus and causing it to roll on to its rear side.
O’Brien told the court on Wednesday he was abandoning a previous application for a suppression order on Button’s home address. He did not explain why.
The defence barrister had sought the order on October 18 after claiming “certain individuals” could cause problems if they found out where Button lived.
Magistrate Caleb Franklin agreed to adjourn the case to January 17 and formally revoked the interim non-publication order on Button’s address.
The 10 people who died in the bus crash were: Nadene McBride and her daughter , Kyah, 22, of Singleton, Kane Symons, 21, from Tasmania, Andrew Scott, 35, and his wife Lynan, 33, of Singleton, Zach Bray, 29, from Byron Bay, Angus Craig, 28, from Queensland, Darcy Bulman, 30, from Melbourne, Tori Cowburn, 29, and Rebecca Mullen, both of Singleton.
Those on board the bus had earlier attended the wedding of Mitchell Gaffney and Madeleine Edsell.
The names of the 25 injured people on the bus have been suppressed.
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