On Tuesday, April 22, Michael Slater entered a guilty plea to counts of domestic abuse and was subsequently given a four-year jail sentence. The former Australian batter might walk free after serving in the jail for a year, while his term lasts for 4 years. According to the Maroochydore District Court registrar, Slater’s sentencing was partially suspended.
The cricket player was the subject of several domestic violence offence cases filed in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast between December 5, 2023, and April 12, 2024. The New South Wales native remained in police custody after the court denied him bail. The former Australian athlete was accused of stalking, strangling, assaulting, and breaking and entering a woman in the Noosa region.
Judge Glen Cash of Maroochydore heard the matter and asserted that Slater’s alcoholism would make his rehabilitation difficult. He said that the defendant’s actions had grown unpredictable and repeated.
Alcoholism is a part of who you are, thus your recovery won’t be simple. According to ABC, he stated, “It was a recurring feature with his offending as his behaviour becomes more erratic.”
The woman felt “extremely fearful and exhausted”
Slater has reportedly suffered mental health issues since being charged with multiple offences in the past as well. “The court heard Slater made threats of self-harm as he warned the victim not to report harassment, and she felt extremely fearful and exhausted by Slater’s behaviour,” the report further added.
In 2022, the Sydney court sentenced Slater to receive a community corrections order, as the Australian cricketer pleaded guilty to ‘common assault and attempted stalking of a woman’. In Australia, a community corrections order is a noncustodial punishment, which means his punishment does not necessarily involve imprisonment and could be in the form of a fine, probation, discharge, suspended sentence, or community service.
Michael Slater’s career in cricket
From 1993 until 2001, Slater represented Australia in the game’s longest format. The Australian batsman amassed 5312 runs at an average of 42.83 in 74 games, including 21 fifties and 14 hundreds. In ODIs, he scored 987 runs in 42 matches at an average of 24.07, with 9 half-centuries as well. Later, he became a commentator, but in 2021, his contract was terminated.
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