Former Australia cricketer-turned-commentator Michael Slater was arrested on Wednesday (December 15) after he allegedly sent multiple text messages and made phone calls to the person he was charged with stalking and harassing in October this year.
A report in abc.net.au stated that, “Slater appeared at Manly Local Court via video link and crossed his arms on the screen as details of the alleged breach were revealed. The court was told that, during a two-and-a-half hour window on Tuesday evening, Mr Slater allegedly sent at least 66 text messages and made 18 phone calls to the complainant.”
As per the report, the prosecutor termed the nature of the messages as “harassing and highly offensive”.
In October this year, the 51-year old former opener had appeared in court after he was “charged with stalking/intimidating” his partner of three years in an alleged incident. After that it was reported that he was arrested “at his home in Manly, north of Sydney and taken to Manly police station”.
"Mr Slater should be under no illusions that if he breaches bail, he will be back in custody," said Magistrate Michelle Goodwin, according to Australian media.
The former batsman was part of the Australian cricket team for close to a decade. Opening batsman Slater played for Australia from 1993 to 2001, scoring 5,312 Test runs before his retirement at an average of 42.83.
Slater scored 21 half-centuries and 14 centuries in Test cricket. In ODIs he played in 42 matches and scored 9 half-centuries. After retirement, Slater became a professional commentator but was released by Australia's Channel Seven earlier this year following a series of tweets criticising Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison while staying in the Maldives when the Indian Premier League (IPL) was suspended in May due to Covid-19 outbreak in the country.
