Rohan Dennis was handed a 17-month suspended sentence and banned from driving for five years after earlier pleading guilty to one count of an aggravated act likely to cause harm following the death of former professional cyclist and Olympian Melissa Hoskins/Dennis.
Hoskins, who was married to and had two children with Dennis, died after a car accident on December 30 2023, in Adelaide, Australia. Dennis, 34, was driving the car involved.
“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, Melissa Dennis,” said Judge Ian Press in published sentencing remarks which were delivered in the District Court in Adelaide on Wednesday.
“I accept you have a sense of responsibility for all that occurred. I accept you have anguished over what could have been different if you had acted in some other way. It is, however, important at the outset of these remarks to acknowledge that you are not charged with being criminally responsible for all of the events of that night and in particular you are not charged with causing the death of your wife. Because you are not charged with causing her death, a court cannot punish or sentence you for it.”
It was explained that Dennis had left the house after an argument over home renovations, following what was said to be a previously agreed-upon strategy of removing himself from the situation so they could both calm down and resume tense conversations later. Hoskins lay on the bonnet of the car in an apparent attempt to stop Dennis leaving, but he continued to drive down the lane for about six to ten seconds at or about 20km/h for about 75 metres. This, said Judge Press, forms part of the offence.
After that, Hoskins got off the bonnet and was walking next to the car and opened the car door while it was moving, and, after shutting the door without stopping, Dennis then accelerated in what the sentencing remarks said appeared to be an attempt to drive away.
“You did so in circumstances in which Ms Dennis was very close to the car and you knew that,” said Judge Press. “I stress Ms Dennis was not harmed by these acts, but you accept your act and the previous act of driving whilst she was on the bonnet did create a risk of her being harmed and you knew that, but continued to drive anyway. The acts I have just set out are the acts for which you are to be punished and sentenced.”
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“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. It was then that she fell and lost her life.
“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.”
Judge Press added that the single-mindedness in leaving the area to de-escalate the argument may help explain why Dennis acted as he did, but did not excuse or justify it.
“It was your obligation to stop the vehicle when driving that vehicle became dangerous to her physical wellbeing,” Judge Press said in the sentencing remarks. “That you did not stop because you wanted to leave is a very poor reason for not doing so.”
A sentence of two years for the offence, but with a discount of 35% available as a result of the guilty plea, would have resulted in a term of one year, four months and 28 days, however, that was suspended when Dennis accepted the offer to enter into a two-year good behaviour bond in the sum of $100.
“Given your plea of guilty, your remorse, that you are the sole carer for your young children, and given all of your other personal circumstances, and the circumstances of the offending, I am satisfied that good reason exists to suspend that sentence,” said Judge Press.