Road Rage Killer Receives 16-Year Sentence for Sydney Manslaughter
Gasps and spontaneous applause broke out in a Sydney courtroom as a judge delivered a lengthy prison term to a road rage killer who dragged another man alongside his vehicle while running late for work. The case has highlighted growing public concern about safety on the roads.
The Fatal Confrontation
In June 2024, young landscaper Rhyce Harding, 27, died following a confrontation with another driver on Sydney's outskirts. Bradley Wayne Wilkinson, 40, cut off Mr Harding's red ute after exiting a roundabout in Blackett, then refused to allow the younger man to merge and avoid a parked car.
"Someone's riding my ass," Mr Harding told a friend during a phone call moments before stepping out of his vehicle to approach Wilkinson's window. What happened next would prove fatal.
Wilkinson grabbed onto Mr Harding's hi-vis jumper, pinning him against the car, and drove approximately 55 metres past several houses before letting go, according to Acting Judge Paul Conlon's sentencing remarks in the NSW District Court.
A Life Cut Short
As Wilkinson sped away, Mr Harding fell to the road and under the ute's wheel. He died at the scene with a tyre imprint visible on his jumper. Witnesses described the horrifying moments before his death, with the young man vomiting, moaning and gasping for air.
"As Mr Harding was held against the offender's vehicle, he was defenceless," Judge Conlon stated during Monday's sentencing. The judge found that Wilkinson had invited confrontation by stopping his vehicle and refusing to let Mr Harding pass.
The court heard that the bouncing motion of the vehicle and the sound it made running over the landscaper's body meant Wilkinson knew what had occurred but still chose to drive away from the scene.
Justice Served and a Family's Grief
Wilkinson received a 16-year prison sentence with a non-parole period of 12 years, meaning he won't be eligible for release until June 2036. As the details of Mr Harding's final moments were read in court, his family shed tears and held their hands over their mouths.
The victim's family filled the public gallery wearing T-shirts emblazoned with Mr Harding's distinctive wolf-and-roses chest tattoo. Wilkinson watched proceedings via audio-visual link from Bathurst prison, sitting silently with his head bowed before placing his head in his hands as the sentence was delivered.
Judge Conlon described the manslaughter as "of a very high order" and noted the "extreme" dangerousness of Wilkinson's unlawful act. The judge also acknowledged Wilkinson's history of violence, including assaults dating back to 2014 and three fights in custody since his arrest.
A Message to Angry Drivers
Outside court, Mr Harding's parents described their son as the glue that held the family together and expressed support for the sentence. "It gives a message to anybody who does road rage and takes another life to think twice," father John Harding told reporters. "Road rage is not worth it."
Mother Mary Harding described the hefty sentence as "deserving" but added: "If I could have given him 50 years, I would have."
Judge Conlon's sentencing remarks sent a strong message about road safety, stating: "There is increasing public concern that every citizen should feel safe when driving in their motor vehicle. The use of motor vehicles as weapons must not be tolerated and significant punishment must follow."
