Former world champion Rohan Dennis avoids jail for the death of Melissa Hoskins

The former professional cyclist and world time trial champion Rohan Dennis has been sentenced to 17 months in prison with a suspended sentence and has had his driver's license revoked for five years. This judicial decision comes after he pleaded guilty to a charge of "aggravated act likely to cause harm" in relation to the tragic death of his wife, also former cyclist and Olympian Melissa Hoskins.

Rohan Dennis receives a suspended sentence of 17 months and five years of driver's license revocation after the tragic death of Melissa Hoskins

The accident occurred on December 30, 2023 in Adelaide, when 34-year-old Dennis was driving the vehicle involved in the incident. The couple, who had two children together, had an argument before the athlete decided to leave the house to calm the tension.

According to Judge Ian Press, Hoskins climbed onto the hood of the car with the apparent intention of preventing her husband from leaving. Dennis drove for six to ten seconds at an approximate speed of 20 km/h, covering about 75 meters, before Hoskins got off the vehicle and walked alongside it. At that moment, she opened and closed the car door without it stopping, and it was then that Dennis accelerated, apparently intending to leave the scene.

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"The court acknowledges that you are not charged with directly causing the death of your wife," Judge Press stated during the hearing at the Adelaide District Court. "However, the previous acts - driving with her on the hood and then not stopping when you knew she was next to the car - do constitute the offense for which you are being sentenced."

Prosecutors accepted that Dennis was not aware that Hoskins was still next to the vehicle when he resumed driving. It was at that moment that she fell and suffered the injuries that led to her death.

The judge recognized Dennis's anguish, his acceptance of responsibility, and his current role as the sole caregiver of his children, factors that weighed in the decision to suspend the sentence. In addition, Dennis agreed to comply with a two-year good behavior bond, valued at 100 Australian dollars.

"The obligation was to stop the vehicle when driving became dangerous for your wife," the judge ruled. "Not doing so out of the desire to leave is not an acceptable justification."

The tragic death of Melissa Hoskins shocked the Australian and international cycling world, while the justice system has tried to address a painful case that mixes personal drama with complex legal implications.