Garage installer Rhyce Hart, 32, ‘gets off on hurting people’, Bundaberg District Court hears

A terrified Qld mum, controlled down to every drink of water, hid in a bush for days from her sadistic partner who masterfully disguised his brutality and murderous threats- until now.

Rhyce Hart was sentenced in Bundaberg District court on Monday, February 18, 2025.

A garage installer and family man has been exposed as a sadistic monster who ruled his relationship with fear, subjecting the mother of his children to control, violence and warning he would kill her family “one by one”.

Rhyce Simon Hart even threatened to “blow torch” the woman’s sister and “burn their children alive in the house”, Bundaberg District Court heard.

The 32-year-old, who the court heard “gets off on hurting people”, was sentenced for strangulation, threatening violence, common assault and two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm.

The court heard in horrifying detail the “coercive” threats and intimidation Hart, who had moved from the Gold Coast to Bundaberg, forced his partner of more than 10 years to endure.

Judge Jennifer Rosengren described the abuse which led to the 2023 charges as a “betrayal of trust”, “financially controlling” and “antagonistic”.

The first attack linked to the charges took place between January 13 and 25, 2023, where Hart, who was 30 at the time, strangled, hit and punched his 33-year-old victim.

When she attempted to fight back, he restrained her on the bed, hitting her enough to cause bruising, continued to strangle her and said he would “drag her to hell”, the court heard.

Rhyce Hart appeared via video link in Bundaberg District Court. Judge Rosengren told the court the father of three said he “gets off on hurting people”.

The father of three, who was described as having a happy childhood, took photos of his partner’s bruised and battered body under the threat of sharing them with a friend who he said would kill them both.

On March 1, 2023, Hart travelled with the victim to pick their children up from school.

Ms Rosengren told the court the abuse escalated throughout the afternoon, beginning with Hart telling her he and his brother (who is not accused of any wrongdoing) were planning to kill her family “one by one”.

His abusive tirade continued when they returned home and aggressively pressed his forehead against hers while calling her “scum of the earth”, “maggot”, and threatening to rape her, tie something around her throat and drag her down the street with her skin off, the court heard.

On one occasion that evening, Hart, who was 17 when they had their first child, struck her across the nose, saying he didn’t want to leave too many marks as they were expecting a visitor.

Neighbours, who were aware of the abuse, came to the woman’s aid on two occasions that night, which made Hart even angrier.

He said he was arranging to buy a machine gun to kill her and reminded her that he kept loaded guns around the house.

It was at this point he also made the threats to burn the home with the children in it, the court heard.

Judge Rosengren said that as the breadwinner of the family, Hart’s abuse aligned with many other domestic violence cases.

He controlled everything, down to whether “she could have a glass of water” she said.

After the children had gone to sleep on the evening of March 1, Hart locked his former partner in the room while he showered.

The 32-year-old escaped out the window and hid under a hedge for more than a day.

Judge Rosengren said the mother described the harrowing feeling of watching Hart scour the neighbourhood for her in his car, while she continued to hide overnight and into the next day.

In her statement to police, the mother said she remained hidden until two women approached her the following afternoon, and she asked for a glass of water.

Police were called on this occasion and Hart denied there being any incidents of domestic violence.

Rhyce Hart was born on the Gold Coast and had his first child with his partner of more than ten years at the age of 17.

However, the court heard Hart’s behaviour on that occasion was “so concerning” he was taken into custody immediately, despite having no criminal history.

Hart served 146 days in jail on remand from March 2, 2023, before being released on bail, in what Ms Rosengren said was an “astounding” magistrate’s decision as Hart had previously been denied bail by the Supreme Court earlier that year.

The court heard Hart violently squandered the bail “opportunity of a lifetime” after being arrested again on April 7, 2024, when similar incidents of abuse came to light.

Rhyce Hart’s former partner and eldest daughter attended the court supported by friends and family.

Hart’s former partner and their eldest daughter attended court, supported by friends and family.

In victim impact statements referenced in court, the mother continued to “doubt decisions that she makes” and the impact of the abuse on her family.

Hart was sentenced to two years in jail for the strangulation charge, and 15 months’ jail for all other charges.

A total of 327 days was declared as time served, and he was allowed immediate parole.

Originally published as Garage installer Rhyce Hart, 32, ‘gets off on hurting people’, Bundaberg District Court hears