Former Australia international Michael Slater has been arrested for domestic violence. The 55-year-old has played 74 Test matches for the Kangaroos, scoring 5312 runs at an average of 42.83. In white-ball cricket, he featured in 42 ODIs, scoring 987 runs. Meanwhile, Slater has been served prison sentence for four years but he will immediately be released from custody on a suspended sentence.
The New South Wales-born was sentenced in Maroochydore District Court on Tuesday, April 22, after pleading guilty to seven charges, including two counts of choking a woman. Separate charges such as stalking, assault and burglary were also reported - which was dated December 2023 on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Apart from that, police have also discovered abusive texts which Slated sent to a woman in March 2024.
Notably, he has spent more than 12 months in custody. Slater had made multiple attempts to secure bail, but all of them were rejected. This time around, Judge Glen Cash sentenced Slater to four years' imprisonment. It will, however, be partially suspended after time served. According to a report on ESPNcricinfo, ‘the remainder of Slater's sentence is suspended for five years, during which he will risk being returned to custody if he commits another serious offence’.
In August 2024, Supreme Court Justice Paul Freeburn learned of Slater’s history of mental health conditions. He was also informed that he was diagnosed with multiple conditions, including alcohol use disorder. Gregory McGuire, the defence barrister, then argued for bail, citing Slater’s condition and promoting the importance of him attending rehabilitation in NSW.
Meanwhile, Slater has a history of such acts. In 2021, he was arrested for harassment and stalking a woman. At that time, he allegedly sent at least 66 text messages and made 18 phone calls to the complainant.