A police employee was on duty when they paused to verify the details of a vehicular incident. This seemingly routine check quickly turned into a personal nightmare.
“It’s my baby brother, it’s Rhyce,” she exclaimed in shock upon recognizing her brother’s ute among the details she reviewed.
Rhyce Harding was remembered by his parents as a compassionate and generous soul. An enthusiastic kickboxer, he was deeply loved and respected by his friends, family, and gym community.
His gym paid tribute to him, expressing, “Rhyce was a cherished member of our club, known for his kindness, humility, and unwavering dedication to his training.”
The courtroom’s public gallery was a sea of solidarity, packed with his loved ones wearing matching T-shirts. Each shirt bore a design inspired by one of Rhyce’s tattoos, a heartfelt homage to his memory.
In a moment of profound grief, Rhyce’s father, John Harding, shared in court, “As a parent, you never imagine having to arrange your child’s funeral.”
“Rhyce was the glue that held our mismatched family together.”
Mary Harding recalled how her son would rise at 4.30 in the morning just to make her breakfast.
“There is not enough paper or ink that would fulfil the person he was,” she said.
Wilkinson sat quietly while the statements were read out, occasionally wiping his eyes.
He reconfirmed on Friday his guilty pleas to Harding’s manslaughter and failure to provide necessary assistance, first entered in April in the local court.
Wilkinson’s barrister said there was no evidence his client intended to kill or cause grievous bodily harm to Harding.
Both sides were prevented from making further submissions because material such as a sentencing assessment report and evidence from a psychiatrist were outstanding from the court file.
The sentence hearing will continue on October 30.
