“Last night, as part of one of my flashbacks and dreams, I was reminded of the night where he killed 10 people … and had his hands in his pockets, while I had no shirt.
“My shirt was covering one of my best mates’ heads as he was bleeding to death.”
The man, who The Herald has decided not to name, told Button he had nightmares every night since the crash.
‘I’d woken up from a dream thinking you had done the honourable thing and killed yourself in jail.’
Hunter Valley crash survivor
“The only peaceful nightmare I’ve had in the last 15 months was last night,” the man said.
“I’d woken up from a dream thinking you had done the honourable thing and killed yourself in jail.
“It seemed like everyone was at peace … You were dead, dead like the 10 people you killed and the thousands of lives you’ve changed forever.”
Steve Symons, flanked by his wife Sarnia, spoke of losing their son Kane in the crash.
Their family endured an overwhelming sadness which would never recover, he said.
The loss of Kane was particularly devastating, Symons said, because he had survived a devastating brain injury at age 11 when he was struck by a golf ball and nearly killed.
“To lose him now, after being given that second chance, is a loss that is cruel and unjust,” he said.
Jacqui Varasdi and Montana Bray, mother and sister of Zach Bray, who was one of 10 who died in the Hunter Valley bus crash.Credit: Dean Sewell
Zach Bray’s mother, Jacqui Varasdi, said her son and the other guests at the ill-fated wedding “did everything right” by organising a coach to drive them home.
But Bray and Kane, along with Nadene and daughter Kyah McBride, Andrew Scott and his wife, Lynan, Angus Craig, Darcy Bulman, Tori Cowburn and Rebecca Mullen “still didn’t make it home”, she said.
Bray had survived bowel cancer and had posted publicly about his battle. The post went viral and undoubtedly saved lives.
“It’s heartbreaking he can no longer continue his life-saving mission,” Varasdi said.
Varasdi said her son was drug tested at his job as an engineer in the mines and through his pursuit of a pilot’s licence.
Button had an extensive opioid addiction that had concerned his doctors, but he was still allowed to drive for years.
Bray’s sister, Montana, told the court she is a diabetic and regularly pulls over her car to monitor her blood sugar before she continues her journey.
Button, by contrast, made his choices to drive and it claimed 10 people.
Loading
“Once is a mistake, twice is a choice. This individual has made many choices,” she said.
Montana Bray continues to think about her brother being trapped in the bus, and is triggered each time she sees coaches on the road.
“Why should Mr Button be offered any opportunity for freedom when the families and survivors are trapped for the rest of their lives?” she asked.