A survivor of the Hunter bus crash, which claimed 10 lives and injured 25, has told a court how he lost the love of his life and would never forgive the driver.
Nick Dinakis had been returning to Singleton, with partner Darcy Bulman, after a wedding in Pokolbin when Brett Button’s dangerous driving caused the vehicle to roll on its side.
Reading from a statement on Monday 9 September, during an expected three-day sentence hearing, he admitted he was a broken man and nothing he was about to say would remotely represent what had happened to him.
“You’ve broken me physically, you’ve scarred my body and, worst of all, you’ve broken my heart and mind,” Mr Dinakis told Button.
“On 11 June last year, not only did you leave me close to death and in ICU with a broken neck, glass and debris throughout my face like shrapnel, and with a brain injury I am likely to never recover from, you ruined my career, my ability to work at the top of my game.”
Mr Dinakis said he had spent four months in a neck brace relying on others for help and the ripple effect of Button’s “selfish and dangerous actions” had been enormous.
He said the worst part had been how Button had killed his love and best friend, Ms Bulman.
The couple had met at high school and she was, and always would be, his unconditional love.
“She loved me more than anyone other than my own mother. She was my forever person,” Mr Dinakis said.
He had been planning to propose to Darcy, an Australian Securities and Investments Commission investigator in Melbourne, during a trip to Europe this year.
“You killed her. You took away her opportunity to become the one thing she had always dreamed of (being), a mother,” Mr Dinakis said.
“You killed my family, the future mother of my children, my future wife, my best friend.
“There is no punishment large enough that can soften the blow of the senseless, careless and stupid crime you’ve committed.
“You killed 10 highly-skilled and respected people.
“I hope the image of Darcy Kate Bulman and the nine other beautiful humans you killed are tattooed in your brain.”
Judge Roy Ellis had earlier asked for restraint in a packed Newcastle District Court.
He said the lengthy sentence he would impose was about justice.
“Justice for the offender and justice for the victims of his crime and their families,” he said.
“However, justice is not about revenge.
“But, it is about accountability, deterrence and punishment.”
Button has pleaded guilty to 10 charges of dangerous driving causing death, nine counts of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm, and 16 counts of causing bodily harm by wanton driving.
Prosecutors dropped 10 manslaughter charges against Button after his guilty pleas in a deal criticised by a number of the victims’ families.
Button lost control of the bus taking 35 wedding guests from the Wandin Valley Estate to Singleton about 11.30pm on 11 June 2023.
He took a roundabout at Greta too fast, telling some passengers “this next part is going to be fun” before the fatal crash in thick fog.
The bus slammed into a guard rail and rolled onto its side.
Button pleaded guilty to the lesser charges after agreeing his driving was dangerous because he had taken more Tramadol than the maximum amount recommended by doctors.
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.
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