I think 32 years is a bit harsh, particularly compared to the penalties handed out to home invaders, who also commit murder in the course of their crime. Murderers usually get life, that’s 15 years, of which with remission is halved.
The bloke deserves to do time, he was driving like an idiot, but the result was not intentional, unlike people convicted of murder.
Wow! That is a big sentence. Bit light on details but I take it 10 were killed, with more injured?
Compare that to the UK incident, the Selby train crash of 2001, where ten were killed and 82 injured, where the person responsible got only 5 years!
The UK maximum sentence for “drivers who kill” is now a life sentence. I haven’t seen that given out yet, but there is a clear move towards bigger sentences. Very recently, local to me, a guy got 17 years for crashing at 140mph, killing an adult woman and a toddler who were in another vehicle.
If that driver was that ■■■■ in the audi that was live streaming his speedo onto facebook while just having left Newcastle airport, over the drink drive limit, yeah, lifetime ban for clowns like that! 17 years, he’ll be out in 9.
I’ve no idea what court sentences are usually like in Australia but that’s a hell of a sentence for a road accident 
There’s a bit more about the story in this BBC article.
Button was convicted of 10 charges of dangerous driving causing death, nine counts of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm, and 16 counts of causing bodily harm by furious driving.
The bloke seems genuinely remorseful, he may not appeal the sentence. Should he appeal, I reckon he’d get a lesser sentence. He is 70ish, so even if his punishment is halved, he won’t be coming out alive.
Rarely are sentences accumulative, usually multiple sentences are served concurrently.
It’s definitely a harsh punishment compared to some. There’s a lot of community backlash about the light or non-custodial sentences handed out to home invaders who steal cars and entice police to chase them, live streaming their crimes.
It will be interesting to start seeing what sentences are levied for the cause serious injury by careless driving - many d t appreciate how ‘small’ the injury can be to be serious and the minimal careless needed to complete the offence.
It said he’s 59, parole after 24yrs
It said he agreed to a plea deal, really?? How many years were they going to give him if he hadn’t taken the deal?
I think the plea deal was to bring it down to Dangerous Driving from Manslaughter (or whatever other term might be in use in Australia).
In the UK, Manslaughter has a potential maximum penalty of Life Imprisonment
Nail, head, Zac.
The bloke is genuinely remorseful and shattered by his actions and the result of such.
He was addicted to a prescription medication, tramadol, not realising its side effects or that he was effected.
How many of us have innocently taken an assumed innocuous medication, to later find out, or worse, not find out that it can have negative effects on judgment and abilities?
Having said that, this bloke had been taking them for long enough to have been aware of the warning “Do not drive or operate heavy machinery.” on the label.
As far as I’m aware, police never test for prescription or over the counter drugs, even after a collision. They do test for alcohol and illicit drugs.
I don’t know for sure but I’d expect Tramadol, as an opiate, to be detected on standard roadside drug tests
The BBC version of the story contains a lot of emotional commentary, and states “Two whole days were devoted to listening to statements from more than 30 of those impacted”.
The handling of this does seem a little lacking in the cold objectivity we usually expect from a court case
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Yes, there’s a lot of ‘shock, gasp, horror’ from the local community, who wouldn’t give a second thought to drug driving themselves.
That said, the people organising transport showed unusual responsibility providing a bus, but that may have been for the interstate guests.
I’m not suggesting that anyone having anything to do with the wedding were drug takers, but the general area has a higher than average drug consuming population.
Another thing that no-one ever seems to take into consideration is the employment conditions the bus driver and many in his situation, work under. He is no doubt a casual employee, working less than full-time hours. Bus drivers are notoriously underpaid. In private small businesses, they’re lucky to make minimum hourly rate. As we should know, it’s a big responsibility driving a heavy vehicle, particularly with passengers, yet employees want to pay the minimum they can get away with. If these companies paid a decent rate, they could pick and choose who drove their busses, rather than take whoever was desperate to work for the money offered. Pay peanuts, get monkeys.
Despite that, this case was dealt with particularly harshly. Rarely are sentences dished out accumulatively, except for the most heinous crimes, generally kiddie fiddlers or serial killers, if then.
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