2 months ago
Olympic cyclist Rohan Dennis, who 10 months agone was fixed a 17-month suspended condemnation aft his car fatally struck his wife, has returned to societal media pinch a station describing a Porsche arsenic an “absolute weapon”.
Melissa Hoskins, an acclaimed world and Olympic cyclist, died erstwhile she was struck by a car driven by her hubby adjacent their location astatine Medindie, successful Adelaide’s soul north, successful December 2023.
Dennis pleaded guilty to committing an aggravated enactment apt to origin harm, but was not held criminally responsible for his wife’s death.
He had not posted connected societal media since soon earlier nan crash, but returned connected Tuesday pinch a photograph of a motorcycle frame. On Wednesday evening, Dennis shared a photograph of a achromatic Porsche pinch nan caption: “What an absolute weapon.”
The Instagram station and communicative – which was accompanied by nan CID and Taylr Renee opus Fancy $hit – drew immoderate disapproval connected societal media.
South Australia’s commissioner for victims’ rights, Sarah Quick, called nan station “deeply offensive” and said it demonstrated “a clear deficiency of penetration into nan existent and lasting effect of nan harm he has caused”.
“It besides reflects a profound deficiency of respect for Melissa and her family,” Quick said successful a statement.
During his sentencing past May, Dennis agreed to a $100, two-year bully behaviour bond. His driver’s licence was suspended for 5 years.
On Thursday morning, Dennis posted an image of his 2 children riding their bikes. He accompanied nan photograph pinch nan caption: “Two absolute weapons” and a emotion bosom emoji.
Dennis had besides shared a screenshot of nan transcribed sound connection and telephone number of a journalist from nan Adelaide Advertiser who had approached him for remark astir his societal media pinch nan words: “Didn’t return these rats long.”
He posted a video of reporters extracurricular his Adelaide home, too.
Later connected Thursday, he appeared to person deleted his full Instagram account.
Judge Ian Press told Dennis successful May past twelvemonth that: “I judge you person a consciousness of work for each that occurred. I judge you person anguished complete what could person been different if you had acted successful immoderate different way.”
It was important to admit Dennis was not charged pinch causing nan decease of his wife, Press said. Hoskins had jumped connected to nan bonnet of his car – not nan Porsche.
Driving astatine immoderate velocity erstwhile a personification was connected nan bonnet was “an inherently risky and vulnerable act”, nan judge said.
After Hoskins sewage disconnected nan bonnet, she opened nan door, which Dennis closed without stopping, nan tribunal heard.
“Unbeknownst to you, your woman held connected to nan car arsenic you accelerated down nan street. It was past that she fell and mislaid her life,” Press said.
He noted that Dennis’s “stoic position does not needfully mean you do not consciousness a consciousness of guilt for each that happened”.
During his competitory career, Dennis won 2 world titles successful nan roadworthy clip trial, arsenic good arsenic metallic successful nan squad pursuit astatine nan 2012 Olympics and bronze successful nan roadworthy clip proceedings astatine nan Tokyo Olympics.
Hoskins competed astatine nan 2012 and 2016 Olympics connected nan way successful nan squad pursuit and was successful nan squad that won nan 2015 world title.
Dennis was contacted for comment.
