Olympic cyclist Rohan Dennis sentenced in Adelaide over the car accident that killed his wife Melissa Hoskins

The parents of Melissa Hoskins have told of the difficult family challenge they now face, after Olympic cyclist Rohan Dennis was sentenced for the crash that killed her.

An Olympic cyclist will not serve jail time after his wife died when she was hit by his car, with her parents saying they have still not received an apology.

Rohan Craig Dennis, 34, was handed a suspended sentence in the District Court on Wednesday so he can continue caring for the couple’s children after the tragic incident that killed Melissa Hoskins outside their family home.

Judge Ian Press today sentenced Dennis to more than a year in a jail, with a non-parole period of 10 months – but said he was suspending the sentence because Dennis was now the sole carer of the couple’s two young children.

Dennis pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated act likely to cause harm, a charge that did not allege he caused Ms Hoskins’ death.

Rohan Dennis arrives at the District Court for sentencing on Wednesday. Picture: NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

Rohan Dennis and Melissa Hoskins. Picture: Instagram

Ms Hoskins – who was also an Olympic cyclist – died on December 30, 2023, after being struck by the Volkswagen Amarok Highline V6 ute Dennis was driving on Avenel Gardens Rd, Medindie.

Outside court, Ms Hoskins’ parents, Peter and Amanda Hoskins said they were still yet to receive an apology from Dennis but being part of their grandchildren’s lives was their focus.

“In respect to Rohan, as hard as it’s going to be, it’s important that we also have a well-mannered relationship with him,” Mr Hoskins said.

“Oliver and Madeleine (the couple’s children) deserve this. They have done nothing wrong ... there’s two young children caught up in this tragedy who have lost their Mum, for them to then go and lose their Dad (by a jail sentence) … I don’t think that would be ideal.”

During sentencing, the court heard Dennis and Ms Hoskins had an argument about home renovations on December 30, 2023 and he left the house and started driving down the lane.

“Your wife, however, jumped on to and then laid on the bonnet of your vehicle in an apparent attempt to stop you from leaving,” Judge Press said.

Dennis then continued to drive down the lane for about 75m at an estimated speed of 20km/h.

“Driving at any speed when a person is on the bonnet is an inherently risky and dangerous act,” Judge Press said.

The court was told Dennis then slowed the car and Ms Hoskins got off the bonnet and opened the car door as it was moving.

“You then accelerated the car in what appears to be an attempt to drive away from her,” Judge Press said.

“Unbeknown to you, your wife held on to the car as you accelerated down the street. It was then that she fell and lost her life.”

The couple developed the foundations of a relationship during their time together competing at the 2012 London Olympics. Picture: Social media

In his police interview in the early hours of December 31, 2023, Dennis told the officers he rolled Ms Hoskins on to her side because she seemed to be gurgling and choking on something which he thought might have been blood.

He said when the ambulance arrived Ms Hoskins was still breathing and awake.

However, the Perth-born 32-year-old later died in the Royal Adelaide Hospital from catastrophic injuries.

The court heard Dennis’s offending related to the conduct where he initially accelerated in circumstances in which he knew Ms Hoskins was very close to the car.

Following his guilty plea to an aggravated act likely to cause harm, charges of causing death by dangerous driving and aggravated driving without due care were dropped against the dual world champion, who retired from his 16-year cycling career in 2023.

Melissa Hoskins’ parents Peter and Amanda Hoskins outside court on Wednesday. Picture: NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

In their victim impact statements last month, Ms Hoskins’ sister Jessica Locke told the court Dennis had shown no remorse for the offending, while her mother Amanda Hoskins said Dennis’s temper had been his downfall.

Ms Hoskins’ father Peter Hoskins told the court his daughter loved her life as an elite athlete and had always chased her dreams.

“Melissa did not deserve to die and she certainly did not deserve the death that she suffered,” he said.

“Can I forgive you for the abandonment of your responsibilities as a husband and father on December 30? I doubt I can do that … given what you have taken from me and my family.”

Melissa Hoskins and Rohan Dennis on their wedding day. Picture: Social media

Judge Press said Dennis’ single-mindedness in leaving to de-escalate the argument assisted to explain why he acted the way but did not excuse or justify his disregard for his wife’s safety.

“That you did not stop because you wanted to leave was a very poor reason for not doing so,” he said.

“To describe the consequences of the events on 30 December 2023 as tragic really does not do justice to the grief, anguish and the turmoil those events have brought into the lives of those who knew and loved your wife.”

Judge Press sentenced Dennis to one year, four months and 28 days jail and set a non-parole period of 10 months.

However, that sentence was suspended on a $100, two-year good behaviour bond.

Dennis was also disqualified from driving for five years, backdated to the date of the offence.

Originally published as Olympic cyclist Rohan Dennis sentenced in Adelaide over the car accident that killed his wife Melissa Hoskins