Former Australian Cricketer Michael Slater Receives 4-Year Sentence for Domestic Violence
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Synopsis
Michael Slater, the former Australian cricketer, has been sentenced to four years in prison for domestic violence offenses. He will be released after serving over a year, with his remaining sentence suspended for five years.
Key Takeaways
- Michael Slater sentenced to four years in prison.
- Spent over a year in custody prior to release.
- Plea guilty to multiple charges including choking.
- Judge highlights Slater's alcoholism.
- Career records include over 5,000 Test runs.
Maroochydore (Australia), April 22 (NationPress) Michael Slater, the former Australian opening batsman, has been handed a four-year prison sentence - partially suspended - after admitting to several domestic violence offenses.
At 55 years old, Slater will be released, having already spent over a year behind bars due to a bail denial in 2024. His remaining sentence is suspended for five years, meaning he risks returning to prison if he commits another serious crime during this period.
Slater, who played for Australia in 74 Test matches from 1993 to 2001, was sentenced in the Maroochydore District Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to seven charges, including two counts of choking a woman.
The charges encompassed allegations of assault, strangulation, burglary, and stalking related to multiple incidents involving a woman.
He has been in custody for over 12 months, with several unsuccessful attempts to obtain bail. Slater was approved for release after he also pleaded guilty to a drink and drug driving charge in Maroochydore Magistrates Court following his domestic violence sentencing.
Judge Glen Cash, overseeing the case, recognized Slater's struggle with alcoholism, stating, "It’s evident that you are an alcoholic," and remarked that rehabilitation would be a difficult process.
Slater collapsed in court when his bail was denied in April 2024 and required assistance from prison staff. He has remained incarcerated since.
Throughout his Test career, Slater accumulated over 5,000 runs, including 14 centuries and 21 fifties. After retiring in 2004, he moved into commentary, initially with Channel 4 in the UK and later with Australia’s Seven Network, which concluded its relationship with him in 2021.
In 2022, he was given a two-year community corrections order by a Sydney court after pleading guilty to charges including common assault and attempted stalking.
