The disturbing downfall of former Australian Test cricketer Michael Slater has been laid bare in court, revealing months of alcohol-fuelled violence, stalking and threats against a woman in the Noosa region.
The 55-year-old faced Maroochydore District Court, where he pleaded guilty to seven charges, including two counts of strangulation, stalking, assault, burglary, and unlawful striking.
Judge Glen Cash sentenced Slater to four years in jail but immediately released him after time already served was taken into account, suspending the remainder of his sentence for five years.
‘It’s obvious, Mr Slater, that you are an alcoholic,’ Judge Cash said.
‘Your rehabilitation will not be easy. Alcoholism is part of your make-up.’
Slater, who spent more than a year in custody after being refused bail in 2024, now risks returning to jail if he commits another serious offence within the next five years.
Michael Slater pictured outside court after receiving a suspended four-year sentence for domestic violence offences
The former Test cricket star pleaded guilty to charges including strangulation, stalking, assault, and burglary
Court documents revealed harrowing details of the months-long campaign of abuse between December 2023 and March 2024.
On December 10, 2023, after a night of drinking at his home, Slater accused the woman of seeing other men without basis.
The situation turned violent when he seized her phone, kicked her thigh, and berated her with slurs.
‘You’re out to ruin men’s lives and put them in jail,’ he yelled.
‘You’re a bitch, a slut. No wonder your ex hates you.’
Slater then wrapped his hands around her throat, shaking her violently and leaving visible bruising.
He followed up the attack by striking her face, causing her ear to ring and her eye to swell.
Terrified, the woman fled and later discovered Slater had removed the SIM card from her phone.
CCTV captured Slater smashing a window before storming into the woman’s home during a terrifying outburst
Just over two weeks later, on Boxing Day, she again visited Slater’s home where both had been drinking.
By 6pm, Slater grabbed a vodka bottle and threatened her, yelling, ‘I’ll f***ing kill you.’
The woman sought refuge in the laundry, but Slater forced his way in, slammed her against a washing machine, and choked her until she pleaded, ‘I can’t breathe, let me go, you’re really hurting me.’
The violent episode left her bruised and suffering from persistent headaches.
Throughout their relationship, Slater sent her hundreds of degrading and threatening messages, often threatening suicide if she reported him.
In one message he wrote, ‘You f***ing killed me.’
In another, he threatened, ‘I’ll hang [my] skull at the front of [my] house.’
The woman was continually insulted, called names like ‘slut’ and ‘dog,’ and blamed for Slater’s behaviour.
Judge Glen Cash told Slater his battle with alcoholism would make rehabilitation a difficult and ongoing challenge
In February 2024, Slater followed her to a local sauna, made disturbing remarks, and propositioned her for sex in a toilet.
When she rejected him, he became angry and aggressive, heightening her fear.
Slater escalated his abuse by sending her non-consensual intimate images and videos.
In one message, he attached a photo, saying, ‘This is how you turned up to my house.’
Another chilling text threatened, ‘Omg. The s*** I’ve got on you … You’re f***ed.’
The woman lived in constant fear, emotionally drained by Slater’s manipulation and threats.
On March 13, 2024, her home security system alerted her to Slater’s presence outside her kitchen window.
CCTV footage captured him screaming profanities, smashing the kitchen window, and climbing into her home.
Slater’s abusive behaviour spanned several months, including physical assaults, stalking, and emotional torment through threatening messages
Inside, Slater continued his tirade, shouting threats and pouring himself a glass of wine from her fridge.
Alarmed neighbours heard the commotion and contacted police, who arrested Slater at the scene.
The woman told police she was terrified to come forward, devastated by the impact on her mental health.
Before his release, Slater also finalised separate charges in the Magistrates Court, pleading guilty to driving over the alcohol limit and driving with cannabis in his system.
He was fined $900, had his licence suspended for one month, and convictions were recorded.
Prosecutors initially argued for a five-year sentence with parole after three years.
Slater’s lawyer, Greg McGuire, submitted that Slater should serve three years but be immediately paroled.
‘He wishes to go back to New South Wales, where members of his family reside,’ McGuire said.
‘Whether he gets better is entirely up to him. He has been without alcohol for a year.’
The former Channel Nine commentator and cricket great played 74 Test matches between 1993 and 2001, scoring over 5000 runs and 14 centuries.
After retiring from cricket in 2004, Slater became a well-known television pundit before his personal struggles spiralled into public disgrace.
An earlier court hearing noted Slater suffered mental health conditions that contributed to ‘impulsive and reckless’ behaviour.
