The grieving family of Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins has confronted her husband and fellow Olympian Rohan Dennis over the crash that led to her death in an emotional day at Adelaide‘s District Court.
Melissa, 32, died in December 2023 after being struck by a car driven by Dennis outside their family home in Medindie, one of Adelaide’s most affluent suburbs.
She was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with serious injuries but could not be saved.
Dennis, 34, a decorated cyclist and two-time world champion, pleaded guilty to aggravated creating a likelihood of harm.
Two more serious charges – causing death by dangerous driving and aggravated driving without due care – were dropped. His sentencing will take place in May.
It is not alleged Dennis caused Hoskins’ death.
The family of Melissa Hoskins (left to right, father Peter, sister Jessica Locke and mother Amanda) arrive at court for their victim impact statements on Monday
Melissa Hoskins (left) was tragically killed when she was struck by a vehicle that her husband Rohan Dennis (right) was driving at the time
Dennis is pictured outside the District Court of South Australia in Adelaide
In a victim impact statement, Melissa’s father, Peter Hoskins, said he couldn’t forgive Dennis.
‘Melissa did not deserve to die and she certainly did not deserve the death that she suffered,’ he told the court.
‘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.’
Peter described his daughter as someone who ‘just loved living’ and cherished her life as an elite athlete.
In contrast, Melissa’s mother, Amanda Hoskins told the the court that she called the crash a ‘tragic accident’.
But she also told the court she believed that Dennis would never intentionally harm Melissa.
‘She didn’t deserve this, for all the good she did. She always put her family first,’ Amanda said. ‘Her death is so unfair and tragic.
‘Melissa was the best thing that ever happened to you [Dennis]. Rohan, you loved Melissa, and I know that you would never intentionally hurt her.
Melissa’s mother was able to find forgiveness for Dennis’s involvement in her death, but her father was not (Melissa Hoskins and Rohan Dennis are pictured)
Hoskins and Rohan (pictured on their wedding day) were two of Australia’s best cyclists
‘I believe this was a tragic accident and an accident that should never have happened.
‘Your temper is your downfall and needs to be addressed.’
Melissa’s sister, Jessica Locke, shared her heartbreak and anger, claiming Dennis had shown no remorse for the incident.
‘Neither myself or my family or friends have received any kind of apology from Rohan for his actions on that night,’ she said.
‘If anything, Rohan’s actions since that night … suggest that he perceived himself as a victim of the situation.
‘That he behave like this overwhelms me with sadness and anger.’
Prosecutor Tali Costi told the court that Dennis was not criminally responsible for Melissa’s death.
However, he was reckless when he drove off while Hoskins was on the bonnet of the vehicle, and continued to drive while she remained dangerously close, the court heard.
Rohan Dennis was an Olympic cyclist, just like his wife, who competed at the 2012 and 2020 Olympic Games
Melissa Hoskins is pictured second from right during the Track World Championships in 2013
The court heard that CCTV showed Melissa on the bonnet for around six seconds before she fell.
She had run alongside the car and reached for the door handle just before being struck.
Dennis continued driving his Volkswagen Amarok until Melissa fell and was fatally injured. Police alleged she was dragged a short distance.
After a 12-month legal process, Dennis admitted to driving a vehicle in a manner likely to cause harm and being recklessly indifferent to that risk.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ jail and a five-year licence disqualification.
Melissa and Rohan married in 2018 after she retired from professional cycling. The couple had two young children.
She had competed in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, and won gold in the team pursuit at the 2015 UCI Track Cycling World Championships.
Rohan Dennis, who also competed at the 2012 and 2020 Olympics, won several world titles and famously wore the yellow jersey in the 2015 Tour de France.
A public memorial was held for Melissa in Adelaide in February, attended by Dennis and their children. She was later laid to rest in her home city of Perth.
Judge Ian Press adjourned the case for sentencing submissions, with the matter set to resume in May.
