A letter of apology penned by Rohan Dennis to his late spouse Melissa Hoskins has emerged after Dennis prevented jail for his position within the automobile crash that tragically killed her.
On Wednesday, Dennis was sentenced to one-year-and-four-months’ jail, to be wholly suspended, and was positioned on a two-year good conduct bond. His license was disqualified for 5 years.
Now in a letter launched by Decide Ian Press and obtained by 7News, Dennis apologized to Hoskins and promised to care for their two kids.
Rohan Dennis’ full letter to Melissa Hoskins
“Expensive Mel. Thanks for all the pieces, for the kids, for all times and for the reminiscences you left us with. These will final endlessly.
“You might be bodily gone however you’ll endlessly be with the children and I. Not simply within the footage all through the home, however in our hearts and our ideas.
“You might be irreplaceable as a mom to Oliver and Madeleine, however I’ll at all times elevate them in the identical method as should you have been nonetheless right here by my facet.
“Bodily you aren’t right here, however I discover little issues that assist information me once I’m misplaced that I do know you could have performed an element in.
“The children are blissful, so rattling sensible and cheeky, multi function. I understand how proud you’ll be of them each and I’ll endlessly inform them that, even after they’re simply in mattress hugging their bunnies.
“I’m so sorry for what occurred. I’m so sorry the kids don’t have you ever. I’m sorry our households don’t have you ever submit op, as I stated to your mum simply after this occurred.
“Not a second goes by within the day the place I don’t want it was me as a substitute and the one factor that I’m OK with is that I’m the one struggling on this scenario, and it’s not you. I don’t suppose I’ve to say this as a result of it’s so apparent.
“Everybody misses you a lot, however everybody has stepped as much as assist to fill the void of you not being right here as finest they’ll.
“We actually did create the perfect village for our household through the years we spent collectively.
“You’ll endlessly be the glue that holds us collectively.
“I’ll at all times dwell my life with a chunk of my coronary heart lacking.
“It is, and always will be yours, no matter what. I love you. Rohan.”
Hoskins’ mother and father: ‘It’s time to maneuver on’
Hoskins’ mother and father Peter and Amanda stated their household would now attempt to “move on” from the horrific incident that rocked Australian sport, with the welfare of the couple’s two younger kids “front of mind”.
“It’s now time for us to move on, which would be Melissa’s expectations of us,” Peter stated.
“Clearly we need to proceed to be an integral a part of their kids’s lives and their future.
“How we do that in a significant method and related method will take time.
“With respect to Rohan, as arduous as it’ll be, it is necessary that we even have a well-mannered relationship with him.
“(Our grandchildren) deserve this, they have done nothing wrong. We would like to thank everybody for their support of us.”
Dennis has prevented spending any time behind bars for driving recklessly earlier than the demise of Hoskins.
Decide Press pressured Dennis was not being held accountable for Hoskins’ demise, however for his actions main as much as the tragic occasion.
“To describe the consequences of the events of December 30, 2023, as tragic, really does not do justice to the grief, the anguish and the turmoil those events have brought into the lives of those who knew and loved your wife Melissa,” Decide Press stated.
“I accept you have a sense of responsibility for all that occurred. I accept you have anguished over what could have been different if you had acted in some other way … you are not charged with being criminally responsible for all of the events of that night and in particular you are not charged with causing the death of your wife.”
Peter stated the household had not sought jail time for Dennis.
“We’ve got to remember there are two people caught up in this tragedy, and there are young children caught up in this tragedy, who have lost their mum,” he stated.
“For them to go and lose their dad, albeit a short lived loss, I don’t suppose that may be ideally suited in any respect.
“From the outset, it wasn’t something that we were pursuing. The health and well-being of (our grandchildren) have been front of mind for us right from the word go. That remains the case.”
Dennis’ suspended sentence means he’ll return residence and proceed to care the 2 kids, and brings to an in depth a dramatic 18-month authorized course of.
A blow-up over a kitchen renovation sparked the tragedy, with Dennis and Hoskins arguing over prices at their leafy Medindie residence in Adelaide’s inner-north.
Dennis left to get away from the trade and took the household’s Volkswagen Amarok from the storage, driving off into the night time.
However Hoskins didn’t need him to go away and in tragic scenes, she jumped onto the hood of the automobile as Dennis drove down Medindie Lane, behind their residence, going at about 12 mph.
When Dennis pulled into Avenel Gardens Highway, Hoskins dismounted the hood and grabbed on the driver’s facet door.
As Dennis accelerated away from the intersection, Hoskins held onto the motive force’s facet door deal with, the prosecution’s factual abstract, tendered to the court docket and seen by NewsWire, states.
She tripped and was dragged below the automobile as Dennis drove down Avenel Gardens Highway.
When Dennis heard a “thump”, he stopped the automobile and ran to assist her.
Hoskins suffered vital accidents and later died at Royal Adelaide Hospital.
The breakdown occurred in seconds.
CCTV footage recorded Hoskins on the hood of the automobile for about six seconds.
The time between Hoskins dismounting the automobile and Dennis closing the motive force’s facet door and accelerating away from her was three seconds, the factual abstract states, and the time between Dennis closing the door and Hoskins falling below the wheel was about two seconds.
Dennis was punished for persevering with to drive whereas Hoskins was on the hood, which Decide Press slammed as “an inherently risky and dangerous act”, and for the act of accelerating on the intersection to get away from Hoskins.
Decide Press stated he had suspended the sentence on account of Dennis’ responsible plea, his regret, his private circumstances and the circumstances of the offending, and his position as the only real carer of his kids.
Dennis, 34, has no prior prison historical past.
In a police interview, recorded simply hours after the crash, Dennis stated his spouse was nonetheless alive and struggling to breathe within the aftermath of the accident.
Hoskins’ demise despatched shockwaves by means of Australia’s sporting neighborhood.
She competed within the London and Rio Olympics in observe biking, solely simply lacking out on a medal in London after ending fourth within the 3000m group pursuit class.
In Rio, she completed fifth within the 4000m group pursuit.
Dennis received a bronze medal on the Tokyo Olympics within the biking highway race.
