Cyclist Rohan Dennis pleads guilty to driving with suspended licence after crash that killed wife | South Australia
Former professional cyclist Rohan Dennis faces a prison sentence after admitting driving while disqualified for events that led to the death of his wife, Olympian Melissa Hoskins.
A judge had previously warned the former Olympian that he would be jailed if he drove while banned.
In 2025, Dennis, 36, was given a 17-month suspended prison sentence and banned from driving for five years after pleading guilty to a charge of committing a serious act likely to cause harm in connection with his wife’s death.
Hoskins, 32, was hit by her husband’s vehicle near their home in Medindie, in Adelaide’s inner north, on December 30, 2023.
He was seriously injured and died at the Royal Adelaide hospital.
On June 11, the father-of-two was reported for driving while disqualified and his car was seized for 28 days after police allegedly observed him driving with two children as passengers.
On Friday Dennis pleaded guilty to the charges in the Adelaide magistrates court.
He will also appear in district court on September 1 for violating his good behavior bond.
When he was sentenced in May 2025, Dennis accepted a two-year, $100 good behavior bond and his license was suspended for five years.
Judge Ian Press at the time warned him that breaching the driving ban would constitute a breach of bail and Dennis would be jailed.
Hoskins’ father, Peter Hoskins, said after sentencing in May 2025 that the family had yet to receive an apology from Dennis, “but I’m sure that will come in due time.”
“This (a prison sentence) wasn’t something we were after from the beginning.”
Hoskins competed in team pursuit at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and was on the squad that won the 2015 world championship.
Dennis won two world titles in the road time trial, as well as a silver medal in the team pursuit at the 2012 Olympics and a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics road time trial.
In March, Dennis was criticized for posting an Instagram photo of a black Porsche with the caption: “What an amazing gun.”
South Australia’s Victims’ Rights commissioner, Sarah Quick, said the post was “deeply offensive” and showed “a clear lack of understanding of the true and lasting impact of the harm caused”.
“This also reflects a deep lack of respect for Melissa and her family,” he said.
