Former world champion cyclist Rohan Dennis has spoken out publicly for the first time since he received a suspended jail sentence for the ‘inherently risky and dangerous act’ that resulted in his wife’s death.
Melissa Hoskins was struck by the car Dennis was driving outside their upmarket Adelaide home during an argument the pair had on December 30, 2023.
He walked free from court in May 2025 after pleading guilty to an aggravated charge of creating likelihood of harm.
The judge said that while the athlete had disregarded his wife’s safety, he was not criminally responsible for her death.
Now Dennis has returned to social media for the first time since the horrific incident with a post featuring a bewildering caption, considering his role in Hoskins’ death.
The 35-year-old posted two photos of a Porsche 911 to Instagram on Wednesday night, describing the car as an ‘absolute weapon’ in an extremely poor choice of words given the nature of the tragedy.
Rohan Dennis is pictured with his late wife Melissa Hoskins, who died when she was struck by a car he was driving on December 30, 2023
Dennis has broken his silence for the first time since his trial finished in May last year, posting this photo of a Porsche to Instagram with the extremely poorly worded caption ‘What an absolute weapon’
His caption is a distressing reminder of Hoskins’ tragic end. She is pictured in Dennis’s last social media post before her death, celebrating Christmas with him and their children
Dennis also posted a fiery outburst directed at a journalist from the Adelaide Advertiser who contacted him for comment about his return to Instagram, writing, ‘Didn’t take these rats long’ with a cry-laughing emoji.
He also posted the reporter’s message to him, complete with her phone number, in what could be seen as a breach of her privacy.
Dennis’s first post featured a close-up photo of a Ventum bicycle, accompanied by a hundred-points emoji.
Ventum cycles are top-of-the-line, with some models retailing for up to $17,500.
On Thursday morning, Dennis posted a photo appearing to show his son and daughter riding their bikes on a suburban street, with the caption ‘Two absolute weapons’.
The post featuring the Porsche saw Dennis get slammed by South Australian Victims’ Rights Commissioner Sarah Quick.
‘This is a deeply offensive comment that demonstrates a clear lack of insight into the real and lasting impact of the harm he has caused,’ Quick said.
She added that the comment indicated ‘a profound lack of respect for Melissa and her family’.
Dennis (pictured with Hoskins) walked free from court in May 2025 after pleading guilty to an aggravated charge of creating likelihood of harm
Pictured: Dennis’s first post since the tragedy, featuring a top-of-the-line Ventum bicycle
On Thursday morning the former world champion cyclist posted this image appearing to show his son and daughter on their bikes, describing them as ‘two absolute weapons’
During Dennis’s trial, the court was told that the couple had argued over kitchen renovations before he left their house and began to drive away along the laneway beside their property.
Ms Hoskins had jumped onto the car bonnet before falling to the ground and was run over.
She suffered serious injuries and died in Royal Adelaide Hospital.
Judge Press emphasised that Dennis was not being held criminally responsible for his wife’s death.
During his interview with police, the Olympian – who had competed at the London 2012 Olympics, Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021 – told officers he had no intention of harming his wife, adding that it was ‘the last thing I’d ever bloody do’.
‘We were yelling at each other, and I was just like ‘I’m out’, as in like I’m just gonna leave the house,’ Dennis told officers.
‘As I was getting in my car, my wife Mel ran out and as I was moving she jumped in front and onto the bonnet.
‘So I kept driving slowly down the lane and was like just looking at her, saying, ‘What are you doing?’
‘Then we got to the end of Medindie Lane and I stopped and noticed Mel was looking to jump off basically… and she jumped off.’
Recounting the moment that Hoskins fell to the floor, Dennis told police officers: ‘She attempted to grab the door handle, which I believe she got a handle on now and must have been running next to the car trying to get onto the footstep to the side.
Dennis’s post risks bringing back horrible memories for Hoskins’ parents Peter and Amanda (pictured outside court after he was sentenced in May 2025)
Dennis (pictured with Hoskins on their wedding day) refused to answer when he was asked if he wanted to apologise for his role in his wife’s death
‘At this stage, I’ve realised that like, she’s probably gonna try and get on and it’s getting a little bit out of control.
‘From memory, I let go of the accelerator but I heard a thump and I saw in my mirror that she was on the ground.’
Unlike Dennis – who refused to answer when he was asked if he wanted to apologise outside the court – Hoskins’ parents wanted to make a point about how the family should deal with the tragedy.
‘We’re glad the trial is over, and shortened considerably by Rohan’s guilty plea,’ Peter Hoskins said through tears.
‘It is now time for us to move on, which would be Melissa’s expectations of us.
‘Clearly we want to continue to be an integral part of their children’s lives and their future.
‘How we do this in a meaningful way, and a relevant way, will take time as we refocus on our lives going forward without Melissa.
‘With respect to Rohan, as hard as it’s going to be, it’s important that we also have a well-mannered relationship with him.
‘Oliver and Madeleine [the couple’s children] deserve this. They have done nothing wrong… we miss Melissa terribly. She was someone really special.’
