Australian Olympic cyclist Rohan Dennis has pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified, a charge brought after police stopped him last month. At the time of the stop, two children were passengers in the vehicle.
Dennis, 36, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday. He had previously been issued a five-year driving ban following a 2023 incident in which his wife, Melissa Hoskins, died after being struck by a car.
Last year, Dennis received a suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty to one aggravated count of creating the likelihood of harm. Prosecutors had dropped two more serious charges as part of a plea deal. The court found Dennis not criminally responsible for Hoskins' death but determined his actions were reckless.
During last year's proceedings, the court heard that Dennis and Hoskins, also an Olympic cyclist, had been arguing before Dennis got into his car to leave. Hoskins jumped onto the bonnet of the car and later held onto the door as Dennis drove away. She subsequently fell and was struck by the vehicle, later succumbing to her injuries in the hospital.
Dennis was sentenced in May of the previous year, with the judge suspending a 17-month prison term and placing him on a two-year good behavior bond. The five-year driving disqualification commenced on the day of the incident in December 2023.
Prosecutors have requested that the current driving offense and the breach of the good behavior bond be referred to the District Court. Dennis is scheduled to return to court in September.