Australian cyclist Rohan Dennis given suspended sentence over wife's death
What's the story
Former world champion cyclist Rohan Dennis has received a suspended sentence for a car accident in Australia that killed his wife, fellow Olympian Melissa Hoskins. A judge in South Australia imposed a roughly 17-month suspended sentence, citing his guilty plea, remorse, and duty as sole carer for their young children. Dennis admitted last year to an "aggravated act likely to cause harm" after Hoskins was struck by the car he was driving outside the couple's Adelaide home in December.
Preceding events
Court hears about couple's argument before the incident
At the court hearing in Adelaide, Judge Ian Press said that an argument over home renovations had caused Dennis to drive off. Hoskins, a retired track cyclist herself, had jumped onto the car bonnet in an apparent attempt to stop him from leaving, as she wanted to continue to discuss the issue. Though Dennis had driven at a slow speed for up to 10 seconds, Judge Press said it was "an inherently risky and dangerous act."
Fatal outcome
The tragic sequence of events leading to Hoskins's death
She got off at an intersection and then opened the door to the moving car before Dennis reached out to shut it and attempted to drive away, the judge added. "What happened next does not form the basis of the charge as the prosecution accept that, unbeknownst to you, your wife held onto the car as you accelerated down the street," he said. It was during the acceleration that she fell off and lost her life.
Career highlights
Dennis's achievements and the aftermath of the incident
The judge said that while he understood that Dennis had tried to "de-escalate the argument" by driving off, it did not excuse his actions. "It was your obligation to stop the vehicle when driving that vehicle became dangerous to her physical wellbeing," he said. Dennis, an Olympic medalist in 2012 and 2021, has a number of accolades, including winning world time trials in 2018 and 2019. He also won a stage at the Tour de France in 2015.