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Olympic cyclist Rohan Dennis, who 10 months ago was given a 17-month suspended sentence after his car fatally struck his wife, has returned to social media with a post describing a Porsche as an “absolute weapon”.
Melissa Hoskins, an acclaimed world and Olympic cyclist, died when she was struck by a car driven by her husband near their home at Medindie, in Adelaide’s inner north, in December 2023.
Dennis pleaded guilty to committing an aggravated act likely to cause harm, but was not held criminally responsible for his wife’s death.
He had not posted on social media since shortly before the crash, but returned on Tuesday with a photo of a bike frame. On Wednesday evening, Dennis shared a photo of a black Porsche with the caption: “What an absolute weapon.”
The Instagram post and story – which was accompanied by the CID and Taylr Renee song Fancy $hit – drew some criticism on social media.
South Australia’s commissioner for victims’ rights, Sarah Quick, called the post “deeply offensive” and said it demonstrated “a clear lack of insight into the real and lasting impact of the harm he has caused”.
“It also reflects a profound lack of respect for Melissa and her family,” Quick said in a statement.
During his sentencing last May, Dennis agreed to a $100, two-year good behaviour bond. His driver’s licence was suspended for five years.
On Thursday morning, Dennis posted an image of his two children riding their bikes. He accompanied the photo with the caption: “Two absolute weapons” and a love heart emoji.
Dennis had also shared a screenshot of the transcribed voice message and phone number of a journalist from the Adelaide Advertiser who had approached him for comment about his social media with the words: “Didn’t take these rats long.”
He posted a video of reporters outside his Adelaide home, too.
Later on Thursday, he appeared to have deleted his entire Instagram account.
Judge Ian Press told Dennis in May last year that: “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.”
It was important to acknowledge Dennis was not charged with causing the death of his wife, Press said. Hoskins had jumped on to the bonnet of his car – not the Porsche.
Driving at any speed when a person was on the bonnet was “an inherently risky and dangerous act”, the judge said.
After Hoskins got off the bonnet, she opened the door, which Dennis closed without stopping, the court heard.
“Unbeknownst to you, your wife held on to the car as you accelerated down the street. It was then that she fell and lost her life,” Press said.
He noted that Dennis’s “stoic presentation does not necessarily mean you do not feel a sense of guilt for all that happened”.
During his competitive career, Dennis won two world titles in the road time trial, as well as silver in the team pursuit at the 2012 Olympics and bronze in the road time trial at the Tokyo Olympics.
Hoskins competed at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics on the track in the team pursuit and was in the squad that won the 2015 world title.
Dennis was contacted for comment.
