Former Australian opener Michael Slater was, on Tuesday, sentenced to four years in prison after he pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including domestic violence and stalking. However, Slater will walk free as his sentence was partly suspended due to time already served, having spent 375 days in custody.
Slater, 55, was remanded in police custody and charged with multiple domestic violence offences in April 2024. The charges included allegations of assault, strangulation, burglary, and stalking in relation to multiple incidents involving a woman in Queensland’s Noosa region. He had collapsed in court when denied bail application last year.
During sentencing at Maroochydore District Court in Queensland on Tuesday, Judge Glen Cash told Slater he was an alcoholic and that this was the root cause of his problems. The judge also stated that the former cricketer’s rehabilitation would not be easy, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
The court heard that Slater had warned the victim not to report the harassment, making threats of self-harm, and that his behaviour became increasingly erratic over time.
“It’s obvious Mr Slater that you are an alcoholic,” he told the court.
“Your rehabilitation will not be easy – alcoholism is part of your make-up.”
Crown prosecutor Alex Stark said Slater ought to receive a prison sentence “in the order” of five years, with parole eligibility after three.
Slater’s lawyer, Greg McGuire, argued that the former cricketer should be given a three-year prison sentence with immediate parole. He also told the court that Slater had cooperated with the judicial process and had abstained from alcohol for over a year while in prison.
McGuire further informed the court that Slater wishes to return to New South Wales, where his family resides.
Judge Cash noted that Slater’s early guilty plea demonstrated “cooperation and remorse”.
Slater has been charged with multiple domestic violence offences and has struggled with mental health issues.
In late 2022, Slater was sentenced to a two-year community corrections order by a Sydney court after pleading guilty to charges including common assault and attempted stalking of a woman.
