Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Rohan Dennis at Adelaide Magistrates Court.Alamy Stock Photo FreeVerdict Former world champion cyclist avoids jail over wife's road death Rohan Dennis received a suspended sentence for driving in a way ‘likely to cause harm’ before his car struck and killed his wife, Melissa Hoskins. 8.41am, 14 May 2025 Share options AUSTRALIAN FORMER WORLD champion cyclist Rohan Dennis avoided jail on Wednesday for driving in a way “likely to cause harm” before his car struck and killed his Olympian wife Melissa Hoskins. A judge in South Australia handed down a suspended sentence of nearly 17 months citing his guilty plea, his remorse and his role as sole carer of their young children. Dennis, 34, admitted last year to an “aggravated act likely to cause harm” over the December 2023 road incident, which ended in retired track cyclist Hoskins’ death. Dennis, an Olympic medallist in 2012 and 2021, was not charged with causing her death. Advertisement Judge Ian Press told the District Court in Adelaide that the couple had an argument over house renovations, prompting Dennis to drive off to calm down. Hoskins jumped onto the car bonnet but Dennis carried on slowly driving for up to 10 seconds — “an inherently risky and dangerous act”, the judge said. She got off at an intersection and then opened the door to the moving car before Dennis reached out to shut it, and attempted to drive away, he added. “What happened next does not form the basis of the charge as the prosecution accept that, unbeknownst to you, your wife held onto the car as you accelerated down the street,” the judge said. “It was then that she fell and lost her life.” Hoskins, who represented Australia at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, died in an Adelaide hospital from her injuries. She rode in the Australian team that won the team pursuit event at the 2015 Track Cycling World Championships in France. Dennis won the world time trials in 2018 and 2019, as well as taking a 2015 stage win in the Tour de France. “To describe the consequences of the events on 30 December 2023 as tragic 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,” the judge said. – © AFP 2025 Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Former world champion cyclist avoids jail over wife's road death”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Former world champion cyclist avoids jail over wife's road death”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. 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