A driver has been left in tears after seeing footage purportedly showing him dragging a young worker alongside his speeding van during a road rage attack.
Bradley Wilkinson, 39, allegedly got into an argument with landscaper Rhyce Harding, 27, as the two men drove to work on the morning of June 20.
Police allege Mr Wilkinson “intentionally and forcefully” grabbed the younger man’s arm through the window and held him against the van as he “abruptly accelerated”.
CCTV footage appears to show Mr Harding, who was wearing high-visibility workwear, being dragged alongside the van as it sped along Jersey Rd at Blackett in Sydney’s west.
Police allege the 27-year-old worker was dragged for about 100 metres before Mr Wilkinson eventually let go and Mr Harding was fatally run over by the van’s rear tyres.
He was treated by New South Wales paramedics but died at the scene.
Police say Mr Wilkinson fled the scene without stopping to check on the younger man.
He has been charged with manslaughter, failing to stop and render assistance following a vehicle collision causing death, negligent driving (causing death) and dangerous driving causing death (dangerous driving).
Rhyce Harding (pictured) died on Jersey Rd in Blackett last month.
A man allegedly dragged a young worker alongside his speeding truck during a road rage attack
The 39-year-old was dressed in a green prison tracksuit and made the sign of the cross as he faced Mount Druitt Local Court on Wednesday.
His lawyer, Javid Faiz, has applied for Wilkinson to be released on bail after more than three weeks behind bars on remand.
He said Mr Harding had held on to his car with both hands and that his client had acted in self-defence and “out of fear” when he sped down the road.
It was based on a 15-second video taken by a witness, who was driving behind the two men when they stopped and Mr Harding approached Mr Wilkinson’s van.
In an affidavit, the witness said she saw Mr Harding “very angry” and yelling as he tried to open the driver’s side door of Mr Wilkinson’s van.
The witness said she saw Mr. Harding hold on to the truck with both hands, but did not see Mr. Wilkinson interact with him or act aggressively.
Magistrate James Gibson noted that the witness was “a considerable distance” two cars away from the altercation.
“It was certainly blurry and it was impossible… to determine if what (the witness) said was in fact the case,” he said of his video.
Mr Faiz said the phone video was “crucial” because it demonstrated the weakness of the prosecution’s case.
The court was also shown CCTV footage from Jersey Rd which the prosecution said showed Mr Wilkinson “driving erratically” before grabbing Mr Harding.
Rhyce Harding was the victim of an alleged road rage attack
The 39-year-old began to cry as the video was played in court showing him speeding into Mr Harding and crossing into his lane as he drove through a roundabout.
A second clip appears to show Mr Wilkinson’s white van chasing the young worker at full speed and cutting him off before Mr Harding suddenly brakes and honks his horn.
Police prosecutor Effie Aronis submitted documents which revealed there had previously been “reports and concerns regarding the defendant’s driving behaviour”.
The court heard the documents purported to indicate Mr Wilkinson had a “tendency” to “engage in road rage incidents”.
Ms Aronis said his record showed he was “someone who perhaps has a tendency to act violently” and would pose a risk to the community if released on bail.
He said CCTV footage and accounts from two eyewitnesses formed the basis of a “strong prosecution case”.
“It appears to have been a road rage incident which unfortunately cost the life of an innocent person,” the police prosecutor said.
“This is a set of tragic circumstances that the community would denounce.”
Mr Faiz said his client was willing to comply with strict bail conditions, including house arrest, ankle monitoring and the posting of $20,000 surety.
Mr Wilkinson agreed he would not sit in the driver’s seat of a car and would not drink alcohol if granted bail, his lawyer told the court.
“It’s a very serious matter. He understands the position he’s in,” Faiz said.
Mr Gibson said the bail conditions “are the strictest he can offer”.
He said CCTV footage shown in court appeared to suggest Wilkinson was “driving aggressively” before the altercation with Harding.
Police allege the fatal incident took place on Jersey Rd in Blackett.
The magistrate said the 39-year-old “must have known there would have been a very serious collision” when he allegedly ran over the young worker and failed to stop.
“I cannot be convinced that this is not a strong case,” he said.
“This is a very serious crime that poses a significant risk to the community.”
Mr Wilkinson lowered his head into his hands and sobbed as Mr Gibson refused his application for bail.
He will remain behind bars until August, when the matter returns to court.
