Tony Leonard Rice’s lawyer gets hearing date to question witnesses over Jim Murphy’s death outside Brunswick Hotel

Tony Leonard Rice is accused of being behind the wheel in a hit and run crash that killed an adored Rockhampton man. Here’s the latest from court.

A tentative hearing date has been set for the cross examination of three witnesses by the lawyers representing accused hit and run fatal driver Tony Leonard Rice.

Rice was 37 when he was charged in August 2021 with dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm or death and leaving the scene of a crash without providing help.

The charge was laid over the alleged hit and run crash that led to the death of Rockhampton local Jim Murphy, 76, in August 2019.

Mr Rice’s lawyer Nick Crawford appeared by phone in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on March 2 and advised prosecution had consented to the cross-examination application on March 1, asking only for the scope of the questioning to be narrowed.

He said the cross-examination hearing of the three witnesses they want to question will take about an hour.

Police prosecutor Brandy Butler said while she was not the prosecutor on the case, she did recognise some of the names on the list and was aware those would not “be easy to locate”.

She advised the court prosecutors could make inquiries about those people’s locations and availability for cross examination.

The matter was tentatively listed for hearing on April 4 with a mention on March 9 to confirm witnesses’ availability.

Police will allege Mr Rice was driving a 2005 purple Ford Falcon that hit pedestrian Mr Murphy outside the Brunswick Hotel in Archer Street about 8.20pm on August 17.

Mr Crawford flagged there might be a bail application made on the day of the cross-examination hearing.