Olympic cyclist Rohan Dennis has formally pleaded guilty to a charge linked to the crash that caused the death of his wife, fellow Olympian Melissa Hoskins.
Dennis, 34, was arrested after Ms Hoskins, 32, was struck by his vehicle in front of their home at Medindie in Adelaide’s inner north on December 30, 2023.
Ms Hoskins suffered serious injuries in the crash and paramedics took her to Royal Adelaide Hospital where she died.
At a guilty plea arraignment In the SA District Court on Friday, prosecutor Stephanie Moore said while no victim impact statements would be tendered to the court at the appearance, “I can indicate there will be some forthcoming”.
“However, we still need to ascertain the wishes of the people providing those statements, who will read them and if they will be read aloud to the court,” she said.
In December 2024, Dennis appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court to answer charges of dangerous driving causing death and an aggravated charge of driving without due care.
But prosecutors dropped those charges and replaced them with one aggravated count of creating likelihood of harm.
At that hearing, Dennis’s lawyer Jane Abbey KC said the basis for the new charge was recklessness.
“So there was no intention of Mr Dennis to harm his wife and this charge does not charge him with any responsibility for her death,” she said.
Magistrate Justin Wickens told Dennis he had driven when his wife was on or near his vehicle, knowing it was likely to cause harm or recklessly indifferent to whether harm was caused.
It was an aggravated offence because they were in a relationship.
It carries a maximum sentence of seven years in jail and a five-year loss of driver’s licence.
Judge Ian Press on Friday adjourned the matter until April 14, when sentencing submissions and victim impact statements will be heard.
Ms Hoskins competed at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics on the track in the team pursuit and was in the squad that won the 2015 world title.
Dennis won two world titles in the road time trial, as well as silver in the team pursuit at the 2012 Olympics and bronze in the road time trial at the Tokyo Olympics.
He became the seventh Australian to wear the yellow jersey as race leader at the Tour de France by winning the opening time trial in 2015, setting a race record for his average speed.
He also won the 2015 Tour Down Under in South Australia.
Ms Hoskins was laid to rest in her home city of Perth and a public memorial service was held in Adelaide in February. Dennis attended the service with their two children.
