'If I could have given him 50 years, I would have': Gasps as message sent over 'extreme' road rage death of Sydney landscaper

Gasps and spontaneous applause have greeted a lengthy jail sentence for a road-rage killer who dragged another man beside his vehicle while running late for work.

Young landscaper Rhyce Harding died after a confrontation with another driver who cut him off in traffic on Sydney's outskirts in June 2024.

Bradley Wayne Wilkinson was jailed for 16 years today after killing his fellow ute driver and absconding.

READ MORE: Radio icon John Laws dies aged 90

"There is increasing public concern that every citizen should feel safe when driving in their motor vehicle," acting Judge Paul Conlon said in scathing sentencing remarks in the NSW District Court.

"The use of motor vehicles as weapons must not be tolerated and significant punishment must follow."

Wilkinson, 40, cut off Harding's red ute after exiting a roundabout in Blackett, before refusing to allow the 27-year-old to merge and avoid a parked car.

"Someone's riding my ass," the younger man told a friend over the phone before stepping out of his car to approach Wilkinson's window.

Wilkinson then grabbed onto Harding's hi-vis jumper, pinning him to the car, and drove 55 metres past several houses before letting go, Conlon said.

READ MORE: Australian embassy shut down as 'super typhoon' claims lives

Harding fell to the road and under the ute's wheel as Wilkinson sped away.

He died at the scene with a tyre imprint on his jumper.

"As Mr Harding was held against the offender's vehicle, he was defenceless," the judge said.

Conlon found the killer invited confrontation by stopping his vehicle and refusing to let Harding pass.

"The offence of manslaughter was of a very high order and the dangerousness of the unlawful act was extreme," the judge said.

The bouncing motion of the vehicle and the sound made as it ran over the landscaper's body meant Wilkinson knew what had happened but still chose to drive off, Conlon said.

Witnesses saw Harding vomiting, moaning and gasping for air before he died.

As his final moments were read out in court today, the victim's family shed tears and held their mouths in their hands.

They filled the public gallery of the courtroom wearing T-shirts emblazoned with Harding's wolf-and-roses chest tattoo.

READ MORE: 'Dozy Don': Trump Oval Office event images go viral

Wilkinson sat silently with his head bowed as he watched via audio-visual link from Bathurst prison.

He placed his head in his hands as he was handed a non-parole period of 12 years to expire on June 20, 2036.

The judge acknowledged the emotional and psychological harm the incident had caused to Harding's family, noting that nothing he said could alleviate their long-lasting grief.

In handing down his sentence, he noted Wilkinson's history of violence, including assaults dating back to 2014 and three fights in custody since his arrest.

Outside court, Harding's parents said their son was the glue that held the family together.

They supported the judge's sentence.

"It gives a message to anybody who does road rage and takes another life to think twice," father John Harding said.

"Road rage is not worth it."

Mother Mary Harding told reporters the legal system was waking up.

"Finally, they're giving a sentence which is deserving," she said.

"If I could have given him 50 years, I would have."

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.