Champion Cyclist Sentenced Over Olympian Wife's Car Death

Former world champion cyclist Rohan Dennis has been fixed a two-year suspended condemnation complete a car incident successful Australia which killed his wife, chap Olympian Melissa Hoskins.

Dennis pleaded blameworthy to 1 aggravated count of creating nan likelihood of harm, aft Hoskins was struck by nan car he was driving during a conflict extracurricular nan couple's Adelaide location successful 2023.

A judge said Dennis had disregarded his wife's safety, but was not criminally responsible for her death.

Hoskins' parents said extracurricular nan tribunal aft sentencing, saying they were "glad" nan lawsuit was complete and they hoped nan family could "move on".

The tribunal had antecedently heard that Dennis and Hoskins were arguing astir room renovations soon earlier nan incident occurred, and Hoskins had held connected to nan car her hubby was driving arsenic he tried to leave.

While sentencing Dennis, Judge Ian Press said calling nan incident tragic "really does not do justness to nan grief, nan anguish and nan turmoil those events person brought into nan lives of those who knew and loved your wife".

He said he understood that Dennis had tried to "de-escalate nan argument" by driving off, but said it did not excuse his actions.

"It was your responsibility to extremity nan conveyance erstwhile driving that conveyance became vulnerable to her beingness wellbeing," he said, according to a study by nan Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

"That you did not extremity because you wanted to leave, is simply a very mediocre logic for not doing so."

Hoskins was taken to infirmary aft being struck but later died of her injuries.

Dennis was initially charged pinch vulnerable driving causing decease and driving without owed attraction and pleaded not guilty, but he later admitted to a single, lesser charge.

Dennis' lawyer had based on that he had nary volition of harming his woman and either did not cognize aliases was "reckless to nan fact" that Hoskins was holding onto nan car.

She told an earlier proceeding that contempt his "stoic" front, Dennis felt a "deep, heavy grief".

On Wednesday, Judge Press emphasised that Dennis was not criminally responsible for causing Hoskins' death, and accepted he was remorseful.

"I judge you person a consciousness of work for each that occurred. I judge you person anguished complete what could person been different if you had acted successful immoderate different way," Judge Press said.

In unfortunate effect statements publication to nan tribunal past month, Hoskins' mother said that while she accepted Dennis wouldn't person intentionally wounded her daughter, his temper was his "downfall" and "needs to beryllium addressed".

Speaking extracurricular court, Peter and Amanda Hoskins said they missed their girl "terribly".

"She was personification really special," Mr Hoskins said.

He said nan family was yet to person an apology from Dennis, but expected it "will travel pinch time".

"It's now clip for america to move on, which would beryllium Melissa's expectations of us," Mr Hoskins said, adding it was important for nan mates to person a "well-mannered relationship" pinch Dennis going forward.

"There are 2 young children caught up successful this tragedy... Clearly, we want to proceed to beryllium an integral portion of [the] children's lives and their future."

Hoskins was a world champion cyclist successful nan Australian squad pursuit successful 2015, and a two-time Olympian. Her decease triggered a activity of tributes from astir nan world.

She and Dennis joined successful 2018.

Dennis retired astatine nan extremity of nan 2023 play aft a cycling profession successful which he won a metallic badge squad pursuit astatine nan London 2012 Olympics and a roadworthy clip proceedings bronze astatine Tokyo 2020. He besides won a golden badge astatine nan Commonwealth Games successful 2022.