Australia - Melissa Hoskins, 32, Olympian cyclist, struck & killed by ute, husband Rohan Dennis arrested and charged - Medindie, SA, 30 Dec 2023

[Marg944]

This video may give some kind of clues (in the linked article). You can see police markings on the left side of road approaching the top T-junction of Avenel Gardens Road, and where one of the CCTV cameras is. It kinda looks like Rohan might have left from the rear of the house, then made a left turn and dragged Melissa there. IDK

I have circled in this pic where the markings are (pretty close if not exactly there). Also arrowed their house again - roller door at the back in the alley.

View attachment 523125 Google Maps

https://www.news.com.au/sport/cycling/horrifying-new-details-of-olympian-melissa-hoskins-death-emerge/news-story/8a09937b5ea06a5333d253b884e3cdbe

Yes, SA, this article says Dennis left from the back laneway of the house….

“On the evening in question, Dennis left their house in his vehicle by the back laneway and drove around the corner.

The crash scene is just metres from the couple's house and Ms Hoskins was treated by paramedics on the road where she was injured. “

Cyclist Rohan Dennis took video inside ute that allegedly killed wife

He posted the video to his Instagram page just over a year before the fatal December 30 incident which resulted in 32-year-old Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins' death.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Megnut]

Unless I learn otherwise, I have to wonder if he wasn't leaving angry already, with the children, and she tried desperately to stop him. After making contact with her body, driving over and dragging her, he still didn't stop. Where did he go? Did he bring the children somewhere? Did he return to the roadway where it happened? Where did LE locate him?

Horrible, awful, senseless crime.

JMO

 

[Marg944]

Unless I learn otherwise, I have to wonder if he wasn't leaving angry already, with the children, and she tried desperately to stop him. After making contact with her body, driving over and dragging her, he still didn't stop. Where did he go? Did he bring the children somewhere? Did he return to the roadway where it happened? Where did LE locate him?

Horrible, awful, senseless crime.

JMO

I agree, perhaps he was leaving angry, but I am not sure about him having the children in the car with him. I think there would have been extra charges laid on him if he did have children in the car and was “driving without due care”?

IMO

 

[Megnut]

I agree, perhaps he was leaving angry, but I am not sure about him having the children in the car with him. I think there would have been extra charges laid on him if he did have children in the car and was “driving without due care”?

IMO

Maybe they can't prove it.

JMO

 

[SouthAussie]

I agree, perhaps he was leaving angry, but I am not sure about him having the children in the car with him. I think there would have been extra charges laid on him if he did have children in the car and was “driving without due care”?

IMO

Earlier, I was looking to see if there was a specific driving charge about that in South Australia.
There is nothing that mentions having minor children in the vehicle while dangerous driving. Not that I could find, anyway.

But the aggravated driving without due care charge seems to cover that - if the children were in the vehicle. It is hard to tell because it also covers harm caused by driving without due care, as well as other factors (perhaps drinking?) that might have come into play.


Pursuant to s 45(3), an aggravated offence includes where the offender:

• committed the offence knowing that there were one or more passengers in, or on, the motor vehicle

Careless driving (driving without due care)

www.lawhandbook.sa.gov.au

 

[Marg944]

Tomorrow he is expected to make his plea known.

https://www.courts.sa.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/caselists/amccr.pdf

August 6th, 2024

Olympian Rohan Dennis faces cause death by dangerous driving charge​

“Mr Dennis was slapped with the same charges before his first court appearance in March and they were reaffirmed at Tuesday’s charge determination hearing at Adelaide Magistrates Court.

Jessica Kurtzer, appearing for Mr Dennis, asked for 12 weeks for her client to determine his pleas.

Magistrate John Wells accepted the request and set down October 30 for Mr Dennis to answer the charges.

If found guilty, the champion cyclist faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.”

https://www.news.com.au/national/south-australia/olympian-rohan-dennis-faces-x-charges-in-melissa-hoskins-death-case/news-story/c786a172b67f589cc2526baf8090f2ae

 

[Trooper]

Aggravated offence.... Aggravated Offences (SA)

These are some of the criteria that South AU considers to be conducive to making an offence into an aggravated offence....

• The offence was committed with the use, or threatened use, of an offensive weapon; ( a vehicle )
• The offence was committed in order to prevent or dissuade the victim from taking legal proceedings, in connection with their conduct in legal proceedings, or in retribution for taking legal proceedings;
• The offence was committed knowing that the victim was a person the offender was or had been in a relationship with;
• The offence involved the abuse of a position or authority or trust;

There are other criteria, that may not be applicable in this instance...

These criteria below are directly attributed to vehicle use...

Causing death or harm by the use of a vehicle​

An offence of causing death by the use of a motor vehicle under section 19A of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 is aggravated if:

• It is committed in the course of trying to escape pursuit by the police;
• It is committed while driving in a street race;
• It is committed while the offender knows they are disqualified from driving;
• It is committed as part of a prolonged, persistent and deliberate course of very bad driving;
• It is committed with a BAC of more than 0.08;
• It is committed while driving at excessive speed, under the influence of alcohol or with a prescribed drug present in the driver’s system.

 

[Trooper]

https://www.news.com.au/sport/cycling/fresh-delay-in-case-against-olympic-cyclist-rohan-dennis-accused-of-killing-wife-melissa-hoskins/news-story/b3766c60dc3a26b8ecef06a1166be1f9

In a fresh twist, Olympic cyclist Rohan Dennis has asked for a further delay to answer the shocking allegations he killed wife and fellow Olympian Melissa Hoskins.
Mr Dennis, appearing at Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday, was due to enter his pleas to the charges of causing death by dangerous driving and aggravated driving without due care.

Police allege Mr Dennis struck Ms Hoskins with a dark grey Volkswagen Amarok about 8pm outside the couple’s Medindie home in Adelaide’s inner north on December 30, 2023.

Defence lawyer Jessica Kurtzer, appearing for Mr Dennis before Magistrate Justin Wickens on Wednesday, asked for another six weeks for her client to determine his pleas, telling the court negotiations were ongoing with the prosecution.

At an earlier hearing in August, Ms Kurtzer asked for three months to determine pleas, which the court granted.

Negotiations mean Mr Dennis could plead to altered charges at a new answer charge hearing, booked for December 10.

If he pleads guilty to the charge of cause death by dangerous driving, Mr Dennis, who shares two children with Ms Hoskins, faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

Ms Hoskins, 32, suffered serious injuries in the crash and paramedics took her to Royal Adelaide Hospital for further treatment. She died at the hospital.

 

[Marg944]

Snap troops…

 

[Trooper]

Snap troops…

I don't know , as yet, on what grounds he is basing his requirement for a 6 week delay. It could be to further study the results of the Accident Reconstruction thingy, that is possible, but he would have had those results for some time, now.. at least 3 weeks. So the reason for this request is mysterious , currently.

All will be made clear at some stage, ......

Grounds, as in legal grounds for a 6 week delay.. ... it would have to be compelliing.

 

[Trooper]

Olympic cyclist's court case over wife's death delayed

Former champion cyclist Rohan Dennis has appeared in court on charges over the death of his wife and...

www.armidaleexpress.com.au

''Former champion cyclist Rohan Dennis has delayed pleading to charges over the death of his wife, fellow Olympian Melissa Hoskins, so negotiations with prosecutors can continue.''

I am presuming the negotiations would be in reference to the severity, the level, so to speak of the charges SAPOL boght against him.. there would be no other cause to negotiate about, as far as I can see.... some sort of argy-bargy about lowering the offences to common or garden variety instead of aggravated, perhaps... what he would have to bargain with, I don't know, or how firm SAPOL will proceed, unknown at this time..

 

[Marg944]

It looks like you are right Troops… the article says he could plead to “altered charges” at the next court sitting.

Negotiations mean Mr Dennis could plead to altered charges at a new answer charge hearing, booked for December 10.”

https://www.news.com.au/sport/cycling/fresh-delay-in-case-against-olympic-cyclist-rohan-dennis-accused-of-killing-wife-melissa-hoskins/news-story/b3766c60dc3a26b8ecef06a1166be1f9

 

[Trooper]

It looks like you are right Troops… the article says he could plead to “altered charges” at the next court sitting.

Negotiations mean Mr Dennis could plead to altered charges at a new answer charge hearing, booked for December 10.”

https://www.news.com.au/sport/cycling/fresh-delay-in-case-against-olympic-cyclist-rohan-dennis-accused-of-killing-wife-melissa-hoskins/news-story/b3766c60dc3a26b8ecef06a1166be1f9

I wonder who will blink first, then...

 

[Cliff Hardy]

I wonder who will blink first, then...

It's looking like a case of that.

 

[Trooper]

It's looking like a case of that.

Which meams, .. .. the conclusions, if any, or results, or inferences gained from the Accident Reconstruction operation SAPOL did, will be crucial.

(Accident Reconstruction processes are time consuming and expensive.... SAPOL asked the court for 6 months to do one, so one can assume it was done ... )

 

[SouthAussie]

https://www.news.com.au/sport/cycling/fresh-delay-in-case-against-olympic-cyclist-rohan-dennis-accused-of-killing-wife-melissa-hoskins/news-story/b3766c60dc3a26b8ecef06a1166be1f9

In a fresh twist, Olympic cyclist Rohan Dennis has asked for a further delay to answer the shocking allegations he killed wife and fellow Olympian Melissa Hoskins.
Mr Dennis, appearing at Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday, was due to enter his pleas to the charges of causing death by dangerous driving and aggravated driving without due care.

Police allege Mr Dennis struck Ms Hoskins with a dark grey Volkswagen Amarok about 8pm outside the couple’s Medindie home in Adelaide’s inner north on December 30, 2023.

Defence lawyer Jessica Kurtzer, appearing for Mr Dennis before Magistrate Justin Wickens on Wednesday, asked for another six weeks for her client to determine his pleas, telling the court negotiations were ongoing with the prosecution.

At an earlier hearing in August, Ms Kurtzer asked for three months to determine pleas, which the court granted.

Negotiations mean Mr Dennis could plead to altered charges at a new answer charge hearing, booked for December 10.

If he pleads guilty to the charge of cause death by dangerous driving, Mr Dennis, who shares two children with Ms Hoskins, faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

Ms Hoskins, 32, suffered serious injuries in the crash and paramedics took her to Royal Adelaide Hospital for further treatment. She died at the hospital.

Geez, I am so tired of the delays in this case! 10 months down the road and they are still negotiating over 'what charges' he will answer.

He dragged his wife along the road and killed her, for goodness sakes. He did not stop and render assistance, he left that up to two teenagers.

 

[Cliff Hardy]

I'd be keen on any delay that might keep me out of jail a bit longer.

 

[SouthAussie]

I'd be keen on any delay that might keep me out of jail a bit longer.

Of course. I just don't understand what the heck the prosecution is doing in these negotiations. What's to negotiate?

The Advertiser has sighted the court documents and they say that (paraphrased) .... he drove recklessly/at a speed that was dangerous to anyone. And that his culpable negligence/recklessness/other conduct caused Melissa's death.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-sa/olympian-rohan-dennis-faces-adelaide-court-over-wife-melissa-hoskins-death/news-story/18e9b7438c8bb3eb4f986ee14d21b62e?amp

 

[Trooper]

Of course. I just don't understand what the heck the prosecution is doing in these negotiations. What's to negotiate?

The Advertiser has sighted the court documents and they say that (paraphrased) .... he drove recklessly/at a speed that was dangerous to anyone. And that his culpable negligence/recklessness/other conduct caused Melissa's death.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-sa/olympian-rohan-dennis-faces-adelaide-court-over-wife-melissa-hoskins-death/news-story/18e9b7438c8bb3eb4f986ee14d21b62e?amp

That's the bit that has me stumped... what's Rohan bringing to the negotiation table? IMO, zero. Less than zero. Once SAPOL has invested into the Reconsstruction, and all the peripheral expenses involved in that, the information must be significant. And the defence would have all that info by now. ...

Surely it cannot be a negotiation tool that he is responsible for two motherless children, that's like the bloke who shot his parents so he could go to the Orphans Picnic.

 

[SouthAussie]

That's the bit that has me stumped... what's Rohan bringing to the negotiation table? IMO, zero. Less than zero. Once SAPOL has invested into the Reconsstruction, and all the peripheral expenses involved in that, the information must be significant. And the defence would have all that info by now. ...

Surely it cannot be a negotiation tool that he is responsible for two motherless children, that's like the bloke who shot his parents so he could go to the Orphans Picnic.

Yeah ... that's what I am thinking. "The children have lost their mother, now their father is potentially facing 15+ years in prison due to a terrible accident. The children's maternal family lives in WA, if they have the children they won't see their father for a very long time ... blah, blah, blah".

If it wasn't for their famous father, their also-well-known mother would likely still be alive and caring for her children.

imo