FOR the second time, families of the Greta bus crash victims came to court expecting to see the driver accused of causing their deaths enter pleas.
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And for the second time they left disappointed.
Brett Andrew Button, 59, appeared in Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday charged with 89 offences over the crash that killed 10 people in June last year.
But Button did not enter pleas and the matter was not committed to Newcastle District Court after defence solicitor, Chris O'Brien, asked for another adjournment to obtain an expert report and continue negotiations with the DPP.
Mr O'Brien said a case conference - negotiations between the parties about the charges and potential pleas - was held at 4pm on Tuesday and he was hopeful Button would enter pleas when the matter returned to court on May 8.
The prosecution did not oppose the adjournment.
The matter had been adjourned from last month, when Button was first listed to enter pleas, and Mr O'Brien had read a statement to a waiting media pack.
"There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about what happened that day, that night," he said. "There isn't an hour that goes by where I'm not thinking of the families that have been affected by my actions. "I truly feel for anyone involved including the emergency services. "I am devastated by what has occurred, and for that I am truly and deeply sorry."
Button still faces 89 charges stemming from the bus rollover at Greta, which killed 10 wedding guests.
Those charges include 10 counts of manslaughter over the deaths of Darcy Bulman, Rebecca Mullen, Zach Bray, Andrew Scott. Lynan Scott, Tori Cowburn, Angus Craig, Nadene McBride, Kyah McBride and Kane Symons.
He is also charged with 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and dozens of charges relating to the injuries suffered by the other passengers.
Button has been on bail since he was released by a magistrate at Cessnock Local Court the day after the crash.
He is accused of being behind the wheel of a bus carrying passengers from a Wandin Estate wedding to the newlywed couple's hometown of Singleton when he lost control on the night of June 11, last year.
Ten people were killed when the bus crashed and hit a guard rail and 25 others were injured, including several members of the Singleton Roosters Australian Football Club.
Button was initially charged with 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death, and was later hit with a string of other allegations, including the 10 counts of manslaughter.
The court previously heard that Button had said "fasten your seatbelts" just before the bus crashed.
The tragedy was Australia's worst road disaster in decades and sent shockwaves across tight-knit Hunter communities and the nation.
