Michael Slater Walks Free After Sentencing

Former Australian cricketer and TV commentator Michael Slater has been sentenced to four years in prison for multiple domestic violence offenses, including assault, strangulation, stalking, and burglary against a woman in Queensland between December 2023 and April 2024. Slater, 55, will walk free immediately as his sentence was partly suspended due to over a year already served, with the remainder suspended for five years. The judge described Slater as an alcoholic and warned that his rehabilitation would be difficult, with the risk of re-imprisonment if he reoffends. Prosecutors cited alcohol as a recurring factor in his offenses, while his defense cited his abstinence and mental health issues, including major depressive disorder and ADHD, in arguing for leniency. Slater previously faced and had other domestic violence charges dismissed on mental health grounds, accompanied by court-ordered treatment. He played 74 Tests for Australia before retiring in 2004 and later became a commentator.