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

[vls12345]

I am glad he plead guilty, but...

After almost 12 months of negotiations the prosecution accepted that Dennis was not responsible for causing the death of the 32-year-old.

An aggravated charge of creating likelihood of harm carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment and a five-year loss of licence.

That seems light, imo. Is it because he is rich and famous?

Rohan Dennis pleads guilty to lesser charge over death of Olympian wife Melissa Hoskins

Former professional cyclist Rohan Dennis reaches a plea deal with prosecutors over the crash that resulted in the death of his Olympian wife Melissa Hoskins.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Cliff Hardy]

Looking at ten lashes with a lettuce leaf here.

 

[Bear13]

Mr Dennis will now face sentencing at the District Court.
His next appearance in court is booked for January 24 and he remains on bail.

 

[Marg944]

“On Tuesday, Mr Dennis entered a guilty plea to one aggravated count of creating likelihood of harm relating to a crash at the front of the couple's Medindie home in Adelaide's inner-north.”

Rohan Dennis pleads guilty to lesser charge over death of Olympian wife Melissa Hoskins

Former professional cyclist Rohan Dennis reaches a plea deal with prosecutors over the crash that resulted in the death of his Olympian wife Melissa Hoskins.

www.abc.net.au

NOOOO!!!!!!!!!

 

[Trooper]

Cyclist Rohan Dennis will not be found responsible for the death of his wife – fellow Olympian Melissa Hoskins – but could be jailed for up to seven years after pleading guilty to a new charge.

Dennis, 34, had appeared in the Adelaide magistrates court on Tuesday to answer charges of dangerous driving causing death and an aggravated charge of driving without due care. He was arrested after Hoskins, 32, was struck by his vehicle in front of their home at Medindie, in Adelaide’s inner north, on 30 December 2023.


Jane Abbey KC, for Dennis, told the court that the defence and prosecutors had agreed to drop the original charges, and an aggravated charge of creating likelihood of harm would instead be laid.

“What is agreed that will happen today is that there will be a plea to count three … the original charges will be dropped,” she told magistrate Justin Wickens.

Rohan Dennis pleads guilty to charge relating to death of Olympic cyclist wife Melissa Hoskins

Adelaide Olympian faces up to seven years in jail after pleading to lesser charge of creating likelihood of harm

www.theguardian.com

​

( I agree with Ms Moody ) ...
Sherele Moody (Femicide Researcher)
@ShereleMoody


Rohan Dennis has pleaded guilty to killing Olympian Melissa Hoskins last December. Melissa was married to him. Dennis entered a guilty plea to one aggravated count of creating likelihood of harm relating to a crash in front of her house. Prosecutors dropped a charge of dangerous driving causing death and an aggravated charge of driving without due care. Yeah ... he's going to get a slap on the hand now. So that's why we have so many men killing women. Meanwhile, almost every media outlet has erased Melissa from headlines over her own death. Including
@newscomauHQ
and
@TheCairnsPost
.

 

[vls12345]

My heart goes out Melissa's family and friends. (To be clear, I do not count Rohan in that group.) It feels pretty despicable that this deal was made, imo.

 

[Marg944]

“However, Dennis's guilty plea means he has admitted to driving a car when Hoskins was in close proximity, knowing that act was likely to cause harm or being recklessly indifferent to whether it would.”

Rohan Dennis: Cyclist pleads guilty over Olympian wife's death

Rohan Dennis was driving a car that struck his wife, fellow Olympian Melissa Hoskins, in Australia.

www.bbc.com

 

[Dpdan]

NOT RESPONSIBLE? I'm incensed..

 

[SouthAussie]

Maximum sentence 7 years imprisonment and 5 years license disqualification (as per The Advertiser).

Can't find any minimum sentence requirement, but I would bet that whatever is that minimum is what he will get!

He is subject to penalties under section 29(3) as per this link.

I wonder how Melissa's family feel about this legal manouvering.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-sa/olympian-rohan-dennis-not-responsible-for-causing-wife-melissa-hoskins-death/news-story/4c7106378f072d062fa31ae6a6ba16dc?amp

Penalty Summaries

lsc.sa.gov.au

 

[Ellery84]

Rohan Dennis pleads guilty to lesser charge over death of Olympian wife Melissa Hoskins​

I hope he falls off his cycle.

 

[vls12345]

He didn't even stop to render aid. He drove away after she fell. If he was getting a negotiated plea, the prosecution should have insisted that failure to aid be a part of the charges. I am not Australian but this feels like a miscarriage of justice for Melissa. Imo.

 

[Dotta]

Maximum sentence 7 years imprisonment and 5 years license disqualification (as per The Advertiser).

Can't find any minimum sentence requirement, but I would bet that whatever is that minimum is what he will get!

He is subject to penalties under section 29(3) as per this link.

I wonder how Melissa's family feel about this legal manouvering.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-sa/olympian-rohan-dennis-not-responsible-for-causing-wife-melissa-hoskins-death/news-story/4c7106378f072d062fa31ae6a6ba16dc?amp

Penalty Summaries

lsc.sa.gov.au

So...
If the defendant is free in a few years,
what about his children?
Who is taking care of them now?
The defendant?
Can a criminal take care of the minors?
Are they going to be adopted by some members of the victim's family while he is in prison?
They will still be minors when the defendant leaves prison.
I worry about the kids

I cry for you dear Melissa
What a tragedy!

JMO

 

[Melt71]

Maximum sentence 7 years imprisonment and 5 years license disqualification (as per The Advertiser).

.......

I wonder how Melissa's family feel about this legal manouvering.

Unsavoury, but this says to me that the prosecution couldn't make the more serious charges stick. Perhaps they doubted they could prove intent. Any thoughts @Trooper?

I feel like Ms Hoskins' family would have felt worse if the prosecution insisted on continuing with the original charges, only to have him walk away if they couldn't prove their case. At least this way he will receive a custodial sentence.

 

[Cliff Hardy]

Unsavoury, but this says to me that the prosecution couldn't make the more serious charges stick. Perhaps they doubted they could prove intent. Any thoughts @Trooper?

I feel like Ms Hoskins' family would have felt worse if the prosecution insisted on continuing with the original charges, only to have him walk away if they couldn't prove their case. At least this way he will receive a custodial sentence.

Has to be at least part of the reason.

 

[CredibleSauce]

Unsavoury, but this says to me that the prosecution couldn't make the more serious charges stick. Perhaps they doubted they could prove intent. Any thoughts @Trooper?

I feel like Ms Hoskins' family would have felt worse if the prosecution insisted on continuing with the original charges, only to have him walk away if they couldn't prove their case. At least this way he will receive a custodial sentence.

I doubt he’ll receive a custodial sentence at this point. The Australian legal system is laughable when it comes to traffic offences.

 

[SouthAussie]

I doubt he’ll receive a custodial sentence at this point. The Australian legal system is laughable when it comes to traffic offences.

I have to think that he won't receive a custodial sentence either. Maybe a loss of license for a while. Possibly some home detention in lieu of a custodial sentence.
His lawyer will likely plead that his children need him. And maybe they do.

imo

 

[Trooper]

Unsavoury, but this says to me that the prosecution couldn't make the more serious charges stick. Perhaps they doubted they could prove intent. Any thoughts @Trooper?

I feel like Ms Hoskins' family would have felt worse if the prosecution insisted on continuing with the original charges, only to have him walk away if they couldn't prove their case. At least this way he will receive a custodial sentence.

My thoughts are too dark and probably defamatory at this point. .... . One can only assume that Melissa's parents were consulted, at the very least.... and, obviously, persuaded that this was the way to go. It's all anyone can assume, I suppose. Some where , the children's future must have been a factor....... but... he did not even stop the truck. He kept going,. two teenagers ran out to help Melissa......

 

[SouthAussie]

My thoughts are too dark and probably defamatory at this point. .... . One can only assume that Melissa's parents were consulted, at the very least.... and, obviously, persuaded that this was the way to go. It's all anyone can assume, I suppose. Some where , the children's future must have been a factor....... but... he did not even stop the truck. He kept going,. two teenagers ran out to help Melissa......

Melissa's family probably have to be very careful. There are Melissa's two children who they likely want to maintain a relationship with. See them as they grow up. Be a part of their lives to help them know their mother.

Seeing that Rohan's parents live in Adelaide, if he receives a custodial sentence there is a good chance the children would be placed with them so they can still see their father (during visiting hours).

imo

 

[Trooper]

Melissa's family probably have to be very careful. There are Melissa's two children who they likely want to maintain a relationship with. See them as they grow up. Be a part of their lives to help them know their mother.

Seeing that Rohan's parents live in Adelaide, if he receives a custodial sentence there is a good chance the children would be placed with them so they can still see their father (during visiting hours).

imo

Seems like the Accident Reconstruction evidence will sink like a stone, as well.. I tried jumping up on my neighbors Ford Ranger, from a standing start, didn't go very well. So I would like to see how they reconstructed Melissa jumping up on a high speed moving Amorok, with a furious driver at the wheel...

 

[Trooper]

Melissa's family probably have to be very careful. There are Melissa's two children who they likely want to maintain a relationship with. See them as they grow up. Be a part of their lives to help them know their mother.

Seeing that Rohan's parents live in Adelaide, if he receives a custodial sentence there is a good chance the children would be placed with them so they can still see their father (during visiting hours).

imo

Things don't go well usually with kids bought up by the very man who's responsible for killing their mum.. look at Dawson's girls, and that family, who's dad buried mum in a barrel in the garage, told the kids she'd run off with a truck driver.. things go badly, usually.