The agreed facts relating to last year's fatal bus crash in the Hunter have been tendered in court for the first time.Bus driver Brett Button has admitted he said "this is going to be fun" moments before 10 passengers died on the charter coach he was driving.
His case was mentioned for the first time in Newcastle District Court today where the facts, agreed on by the police prosecutor, Button and his defence solicitor, were formally tendered to the court for the first time.During the drive Button turned on music and fostered a party atmosphere and engaged in banter with the guests back and forth, according to the documents.
The agreed facts also state that passengers from a car following the bus tried to comfort the injured and the dying. Prosecutors concluded that "given the high concentration of Tramadol in the offender's system, his driving ability would have been impaired".The facts said collision reconstruction expert Gavin Lennon determined the bus was going 56.48 kilometres per hour, which was too fast for the type of vehicle at the roundabout.
The court has today been told sentencing proceedings will be drawn out given the gravity of the case. 'I believe we're on the edge of a revolution': While the NZ government delivered its budget, protests were sweeping the nation