A 45-year-old Clare Valley resident facing three serious criminal charges, including attempted murder, has been refused bail for the third week in a row, following a fresh hearing at the Serious Offences Court on Monday.
Keswert Slater, who is the cousin of acting Agency for Public Information head Nadia Slater – one of his alleged victims – appeared before Chief Magistrate Coling John for another procedural hearing in the case. Prosecution led by Police Inspector Renrick Cato told the court that Jean Slater, the 64-year-old aunt of Nadia Slater whom Keswert Slater is accused of attempting to kill, remains in hospital receiving ongoing medical treatment for the injuries she sustained in the alleged May 5 incident.
The prosecution formally objected to the accused being released on bail, citing both the severity of the charges and the ongoing vulnerable condition of the primary alleged victim. Following the presentation of the prosecution’s position, Chief Magistrate John ruled that Slater would remain in custody and remanded him back to prison, with the next bail review scheduled to take place on June 1.
The multiple charges against Slater all stem from the same incident that unfolded in Clare Valley on May 5 this year. In addition to the attempted murder charge connected to Jean Slater, he is also accused of trespassing on Nadia Slater’s residential property with the explicit intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and of carrying out that unlawful attack by inflicting serious bodily harm on the acting agency head.
Because the charges have been presented on an indictable basis, Slater was not required to enter a formal plea during the procedural hearing. No further details about the potential motive for the alleged attack have been released to the public as the judicial process moves forward.