Bus driver Brett Button, accused of causing the deaths of 10 people and injuring 25 in one of the country’s worst road accidents, fears being tracked down by certain individuals, a magistrate has been told.
Defence barrister Chris O’Brien successfully argued in the Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday for Button’s home street address not to be made public.
Mr O’Brien told the court he was not specifically making the application for a fresh non-publication order for Button but more for his family.
He said “certain individuals” might want to seek out Button if his address was publicly known and while the “fear is dissipating”, the non-publication order on where he lived was needed for him and his family.
The defence barrister said what he didn’t want was for someone to pick up the address, attend the property and “cause problems”.
Magistrate Caleb Franklin agreed to grant an interim non-publication order of Button’s street address.
Mr Franklin noted the order had lapsed after Button’s court appearance on August 9.
Button, 59, is on bail facing a total of 63 charges after allegedly losing 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 onto its side.
Button has been accused of taking the roundabout on Wine Country Drive too fast, allegedly telling some passengers to “fasten your belts” before the 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.
He has yet to enter pleas to the charges.
Button’s case was briefly mentioned in court on Wednesday to discuss the return of two subpoenas issued by NSW police before the non-publication order of Button’s home address was raised.
One subpoena had not been answered by the NSW Ministry of Health so Mr Franklin adjourned this issue for mention next Wednesday.
The status of the police brief of evidence against Button is due to be heard in court on November 1.
Button has been excused from attending court because he has legal representation.
The 10 people who died in the crash were: Nadene McBride and her daughter , Kyah, 22, of Singleton, Kane Symons, 21, from Tasmania, Andrew Scott, 35, and his wife Lynan, 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.
The 10 victims will be honoured at a public memorial on Saturday at the Singleton Showground.
The Hunter Valley Bus Tragedy Fund, administered by Rotary, to help those affected by the crash raised close to $1.5 million.
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.
