Rohan Dennis, world champion Australian cyclist, was handed a six month suspended prison sentence. This decision comes in the wake of a tragic road crash that resulted in the death of his wife, Melissa Hoskins. The 34-year-old marathoner is ordered to spend one year and five months behind bars. This potential sentence is a reduction from the original two years and two months due to his guilty plea. The crash happened close to their home in Medindie, just outside Adelaide’s inner north.
On the day of the incident, Dennis and Hoskins allegedly fought over the merits of a $40,000 kitchen remodel. Following the dispute, Dennis left their residence and drove away in a vehicle, during which time Hoskins attempted to hold onto the car as it accelerated. Tragically, she was thrown off and landed in the path of the vehicle. Deeply traumatized by this horrific event, she succumbed to death at the early age of 32.
Dennis’s punishment goes beyond the suspended sentence to include an automatic five-year suspension of his driver’s license. He has accepted a $100 two-year good behavior bond. He accepted a plea agreement, pleading guilty to one count of committing an aggravated act intended to cause harm. The court described Dennis’s actions as “an inherently reckless and dangerous act” by Judge Ian Press.
Accountability was central to Judge Press’ focus when delivering the sentence. He commented on Dennis’s “stoic presentation,” which should not be interpreted as Dennis’s absence of guilt about the shooting. The judge remarked on the emotional toll that the event had inflicted on both families, stating that the grief and anguish caused by the tragedy “really does not do justice to the grief, the anguish and the turmoil those events have brought into the lives of those who knew and loved your wife.”
“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
Dennis has already crafted quite the career as a cyclist. He’s a two-time world champion in road time trials, bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympic Games, and silver medalist in team pursuit at the 2012 Olympics. All of these successes have recently been pushed aside by the cloud of tragic circumstances that caused his wife’s death.
The judge was clear with Dennis, and told him he was on a short leash with his driving privilege. He emphasized that first breach of the bond would mean instant incarceration for breach of the bond of good deportment.
“Unbeknownst to you, your wife held onto the car as you accelerated down the street. It was then that she fell and lost her life.” – Judge Ian Press
The court proceedings highlighted the couple’s intense personalities and competitive nature, with Judge Press noting that their successful athletic careers “could sometimes lead to both taking an intractable position during some dispute.” This sympathetic characterization of Myers helps us to better understand the dynamics of their relationship at the time leading up to the fateful attack.
In fact, Dennis has not offered an apology to Hoskins’s family in public or in private. Judge Press believes an admission will arrive eventually.
“We want to continue to be an integral part of her children’s lives and their future. How we do this in a meaningful way and a relevant way will take time.” – Rohan Dennis
Dennis further stressed the importance of maintaining a peaceful relationship with Hoskins’s family, out of respect for their children. He stated, “With respect to Rohan, as hard as it’s going to be, it’s important that we have a well-mannered relationship with him. [The children] deserve this. They have done nothing wrong.”