‘Must Not Be Tolerated’: Road Rage Killer Jailed for 16 Years in High-Order Manslaughter Case

A wave of gasps and spontaneous applause erupted in the NSW District Court today as Bradley Wayne Wilkinson was handed a severe 16-year jail sentence for the road rage killing of young landscaper Rhyce Harding.

Wilkinson, 40, was given a non-parole period of 12 years after Acting Judge Paul Conlon delivered a scathing condemnation of the crime.

“There is increasing public concern that every citizen should feel safe when driving in their motor vehicle,” Judge Conlon said. “The use of motor vehicles as weapons must not be tolerated and significant punishment must follow.”

Harding’s family paid tribute to him ahead of the driver’s sentence, taking his ashes to court.

The fatal confrontation occurred in Blackett in June 2024, after Wilkinson cut off Harding’s ute. The incident escalated when the 27-year-old Harding approached Wilkinson’s window. Wilkinson grabbed the younger man’s hi-vis jumper, pinned him to the vehicle, and drove 55 metres before releasing him. Harding fell under the ute’s wheel and died at the scene.

Judge Conlon determined that Wilkinson had “invited confrontation” and found the offense of manslaughter was of a “very high order and the dangerousness of the unlawful act was extreme.”

The judge noted Wilkinson’s choice to drive off, despite the bouncing motion and sound indicating he knew he had run over Harding, was a critical factor. Wilkinson’s history of violence and three fights in custody since his arrest were also cited in the sentencing decision.