Olympic cyclist Rohan Dennis reached a deal with prosecutors for the death of his wife, fellow Olympian Melissa Hoskins.
Dennis, 34, will not be held responsible for Hoskins’ death but pleaded guilty to a charge that carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.
Dennis appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday to answer charges of dangerous driving causing death and an aggravated charge of driving without due care.
He was arrested after Hoskins, 32, was hit by his vehicle outside his home in Medindie, in Adelaide’s inner north, on December 30, 2023.
Jane Abbey KC, for Dennis, told the court that defense and prosecutors had agreed to drop the original charges and that an aggravated charge of creating likelihood of harm would be brought instead.
“What has been agreed to happen today is that there will be a guilty plea for charge three… the original charges will be withdrawn,” he told magistrate Justin Wickens.
“Mr. Dennis had no intention of harming his wife and this charge places no responsibility on him for her death.”
Wickens told Dennis that he drove when his wife was in or near his vehicle, knowing that he was likely to cause harm or recklessly indifferent to whether harm was caused.
Rohan Dennis pleaded guilty to driving the car that killed his wife Melissa Hoskins, but the court heard he intended to harm her.
The couple got engaged in 2017 and married in 2018. They have two children.
It was an aggravated crime because they were in a relationship.
It carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and five years of loss of driving license.
Dennis, who pleaded guilty to the charge, was released on bail and remanded to the District Court for sentencing on January 24.
Ms Hoskins suffered serious injuries in the crash and paramedics took her to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for further treatment. He died in the hospital.
He competed at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics on the track in the team pursuit, and was on the team that won the 2015 world title in the event.
During his competitive career, Dennis won two world titles in the road time trial, as well as silver in the team pursuit at the 2012 Olympics and bronze in the road time trial at the Tokyo Olympics.
He became the seventh Australian to wear the yellow jersey as race leader in the Tour de France by winning the inaugural time trial in 2015, setting a race record for his average speed.
He also won the 2015 Tour Down Under in South Australia.
Ms Hoskins was buried in her hometown of Perth and a public memorial service was held in Adelaide in February. Dennis attended the service with his two children.
Rohan Dennis pictured outside the family home in Adelaide in the days after his wife’s tragic death.
On January 2 of this year, Melissa’s father Peter, mother Amanda and sister Jessica issued a statement expressing their distress.
“Words cannot express our pain, sadness and the tragic circumstances of Melissa’s passing,” Hoskins wrote on behalf of the family.
‘Myself, Amanda, Jess and my families are completely devastated and still struggling to process what has happened.
“Not only have we lost a daughter and a sister, her children have lost their mother, a free spirit, a giver with a big heart, patience and enthusiasm for life.”