Former world champion cyclist Rohan Dennis will avoid jail time in the death of his wife, fellow Olympian Melissa Hoskins.
The 34-year-old Dennis appeared in South Australia District Court on Wednesday, after earlier pleading guilty to a charge of committing an aggravated act likely to cause harm.
He was handed a suspended sentence over what was termed a “tragic accident,” with the judge saying that while Dennis had disregarded his wife’s safety by accelerating and hitting her with his vehicle while she was trying to stop him from driving away, he was not criminally responsible for her death.
Hoskins was run over by a pickup truck driven by Dennis near their Adelaide, Australia home just days after Christmas in 2023. She was holding onto the truck door, trying to stop him from driving, when he accelerated and caused her to slip under the truck. She suffered serious injuries and later died in hospital.
The court was told that the couple had argued over kitchen renovations before Dennis left their home and attempted to drive away. The court also heard that, at one point, Hoskins had jumped onto the hood of the car in attempt to stop him from leaving, but that Dennis continued to drive at a slow speed for about 75 metres as she was on the vehicle.
FILE – Australia’s Rohan Dennis celebrates winning gold with his wife Melissa Hoskins and their son during the Men’s Elite Individual Time Trials from Northallerton to Harrogate.
Tim Goode / PA Images via Getty Images
Both cyclists were retired at the time. They married in February 2018 and had two children.
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On Wednesday, Dennis was sentenced to one year, four months and 28 days in jail, to be suspended for two years. The sentence was reduced from two years and two months because of his guilty plea and he’s been placed on a two-year good behaviour bond.
His licence was also suspended for five years.
“I accept you have a sense of responsibility for all that occurred, I accept you have anguished over what could have been different if you had acted in some other way,” Judge Ian Press said Wednesday.
Dennis showed little emotion when Press sentenced him.
“Given your plea of guilty, your remorse, that you are the sole carer for your young children, and given all your other personal circumstances and the circumstances of the offending, I am satisfied that good reason exists to suspend that sentence,” the judge said.
Press said that while Dennis had tried to “de-escalate the argument” by driving off, he said it did not excuse the cyclist’s actions.
“That you did not stop because you wanted to leave, is a very poor reason for not doing so.”
FILE – Melissa Hoskins of Western Australia competes in the Women’s 25km Points Race during the 2015 National Track Cycling Championships at DISC Velodrome on January 30, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia.
Daniel Smith / Getty Images
While the offence carried a maximum seven-year jail sentence, lawyer Jane Abbey asked that her client receive a suspended sentence.
During sentencing submissions in April, Amanda Hoskins, the deceased’s mother, said her daughter had loved Dennis “and I know that you would never intentionally hurt her.”
“I believe this is a tragic accident. Your temper is your downfall and needs to be addressed,” she said.
Outside the court, reports the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Peter Hoskins told reporters Dennis had yet to apologize to the family for the death of his daughter, but expected it “will come with time.”
“It’s now time for us to move on, which would be Melissa’s expectations of us,” he said, adding it was important for the couple to have a “well-mannered relationship” with Dennis going forward.
“There are two young children caught up in this tragedy… Clearly, we want to continue to be an integral part of [the] children’s lives and their future.”
Hoskins competed for Australia at the London and Rio de Janeiro Olympics in the team pursuit and was in the squad that won the 2015 title in the event.
— With files from The Associated Press
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