Horrific CCTV footage has been reported to show the wife of Olympic cyclist Rohan Dennis chasing and grabbing his ute in the moments before his death.
Dennis, 34, 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 his wife Melissa Hoskins, 32, was hit by their vehicle outside their home in Medindie, in Adelaide’s inner north, on December 30, 2023.
Dennis pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of creating a likelihood of harm, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
CCTV view of the incident shows Hoskins running alongside the ute Dennis was driving after she first jumped onto the bonnet of the vehicle. The Australian reported.
Footage then reportedly shows Hoskins reaching for a door handle before being hit by the Volkswagen ute.
Melissa Hoskins (left) died after being hit by a van driven by her husband Rohan Dennis (right) outside their home in Adelaide in December 2023.
Dennis (pictured outside court) pleaded guilty to a reduced charge after originally being charged with dangerous driving causing death and an aggravated charge of driving without due care.
She suffered serious injuries in the accident and paramedics took her to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for further treatment, but were unable to save her.
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has been agreed to happen today is that there will be a guilty plea for charge three… the original charges will be withdrawn,” he told magistrate Justin Wickens.
‘Regarding charge three, a charge of recklessness is being filed today. Therefore, 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.
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.
CCTV footage of the incident reportedly shows Hoskins (pictured with Dennis) running alongside the vehicle driven by her husband just before suffering fatal injuries.
Dennis, who pleaded guilty to the charge, was released on bail and remanded to the District Court for sentencing on January 24.
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.
Ms. Hoskins competed in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games 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.
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.”