Michael Slater to plead guilty in AVO and domestic violence charges if his application on mental health grounds fails

Former Australia cricketer Michael Slater will plead guilty to the charges of domestic violence and AVO (Apprehended Violence Order) if his application to have dealt with them due to mental health reasons fails next year. Earlier, Slater was slapped with charges of the AVO breach after he sent a number of “harassing and highly offensive” text messages to his former partner last week.

Back in October, Slater was charged with the offence of intimidating his ex-partner at Randwick in Sydney between October 12 and 13 after which the AVO was set. The veteran is now set to spend the Christmas in the mental health unit of Northern Beaches Hospital in Sydney.

Court proceedings on Michael Slater to resume on April 19

Before the incident of AVO breach on December 14, Slater was about to appear Waverley Local Court on Thursday to have the charges removed on mental health grounds. “I saw him there yesterday myself,” Slater’s lawyer James McLoughlin said while confirming that he saw his client in the hospital.

McLoughlin said that the applications – under section 32 and section 20BQ of the Mental Health (Forensic Provisions) Act – be heard in the next year.

“Mr Slater’s position is that if those applications are not successful, there will be pleas of guilty to all offences,” McLoughlin added. The court proceedings will resume on April 19, 2022.

Slater has been at the forefront of a few controversies earlier this year. When the India leg of the 2021 Indian Premier League had to be postponed due to COVID-19, Slater lashed out at Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Later the PM responded to Slater’s comments, terming them ‘absurd’.

Slater took to Twitter and wrote, “If our government cared for the safety of Aussies they would allow us to get home. It’s a disgrace!! Blood on your hands PM. How dare you treat us like this. How about you sort out quarantine system. I had government permission to work on the IPL but I now have government neglect.”

“No, that’s obviously absurd. This is about getting more people home safely, preventing the third wave here in Australia. I think the likelihood of any of that (jail term for those not abiding by the travel ban) occurring is pretty much zero,” Morrison said.