Australian cyclist Rohan Dennis gets suspended sentence over death of wife

NEW YORK – Rohan Dennis, an Australian former world champion cyclist, received a suspended jail sentence on May 14 for his role in a vehicle incident that

fatally injured his wife,

Melissa Hoskins, a fellow Olympic cyclist.

Hoskins was struck by a car driven by Dennis in December 2023 in Adelaide, the authorities said at the time. She later died of her injuries in a hospital at the age of 32.

In December 2024, Dennis pleaded guilty to one charge of committing an aggravated act likely to cause harm, which carried a maximum sentence of seven years. The 34-year-old was initially charged with dangerous driving causing death, and driving without due care, for which he could have faced 15 years in prison if convicted.

On May 14, a judge at the District Court of South Australia, in Adelaide, sentenced Dennis to a 17-month jail term. The sentence was suspended on a two-year good behaviour bond, meaning he will not serve jail time if he does not violate the conditions of the bond. Dennis was also barred from driving for five years.

In his sentencing remarks, judge Ian Press said that Dennis had disregarded Hoskins’ safety. But he cited Dennis’ cooperation with the police, as well as his guilty plea, his remorse, and his taking responsibility for his and Hoskins’ two young children as reasons for the suspended sentence.

Dennis and Hoskins – who married in 2018 – had argued before Dennis left their home and got into his car one night in December 2023, the judge said in his sentencing remarks.

Hoskins jumped onto and laid on the hood of the car, in an apparent attempt to stop Dennis from leaving, but Dennis drove about 75m at a slow speed with her on the hood.

Hoskins then got off the hood, walked next to the car and then opened the door, while the car was still moving. Dennis shut the door before accelerating the car in an apparent attempt to drive away.

The two acts of accelerating while Hoskins was still in proximity to the car and driving while she was on the hood formed the basis of the charge against Dennis, the judge said.

Although Hoskins was not harmed by these acts, they “did create a risk of her being harmed and you knew that, but continued to drive anyway”, he said.

Dennis was not aware that Hoskins was still holding onto the car as he accelerated away, the judge said. It was at that point that she fell, leading to her death.

This did not form part of the charge against Dennis, the judge stressed.

“There is no allegation that you knew, or even contemplated, the likelihood that your wife was still running next to the car as you continued to drive down the street for only a matter of a second or two,” he said.

Outside the court, Hoskins’ parents, Amanda and Peter Hoskins, said they believed jail time for Dennis would have had a detrimental impact on his two children.

“Their health and well-being is more important than a period of incarceration,” Peter Hoskins said, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Dennis did not immediately respond to a request for comment through his lawyer.

Dennis, who rode professionally both on the track and road, competed in three Olympic Games, the Tour de France and other major events. He won a silver medal in the team pursuit at the 2012 London Olympics and a bronze medal in the time trial at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He announced his retirement in 2023.

Hoskins started her cycling career at 16 and competed in track cycling at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. She also won gold in track cycling in the women’s team pursuit at the 2015 World Championships. She announced her retirement in 2017. NYTIMES