‘Bomb threat’ cop on suicide watch

THE off-duty policeman who allegedly made a bomb threat at the Greenacres shopping centre on Friday suffers from post-traumatic stress and has been placed on suicide watch, the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court heard yesterday.

A defence attorney for Nathan Slater, 39, of Palmridge, requested that the court place him on suicide watch while he was detained in the hospital section of St Albans Prison.

Slater, who made a brief appearance after his arrest on Friday afternoon, stood alone in the dock.

The case was postponed to June 1 to check the availability of a bed at the Fort England Psychiatric Hospital in Grahamstown.

Until he is referred to Fort England, Slater will be held in the St Albans hospital section.

On Friday, Slater, a sergeant at the Mount Road police station’s criminal records centre, was arrested after allegedly making a bomb threat inside Absa Bank at Greenacres.

A section of the mall was cordoned off, business came to a halt, shops were closed and a large crowd gathered at the mall for about 2½ hours after the initial scare.

Port Elizabeth police spokeswoman Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg confirmed that police had been alerted to the possible bomb threat at about 1.30pm.

Slater’s attorney, Paul Roelofse, told the court: “My client has been suffering from post-traumatic stress for some time now. On more than one occasion, he has tried to take his own life.

“He has been under suicide watch while [detained] at Mount Road [police station]. I request that they do the same at the [St Albans] hospital,” Roelofse said.

Slater’s brothers, Sebastian and Winston, were present at court yesterday and confirmed he had been booked off on sick leave when the alleged bomb threat was made.

“He has had [post-traumatic stress] for years. He has been in Hunterscraig [clinic],” Sebastian said.

He did not know whether the condition had led to the incident.

“He is going to see a doctor. Then we will know more,” he said.

Police said no explosives were found on Slater who, according to reports, was wearing oversized clothing and had blackened his face.

“It is alleged a suspect entered the bank and indicated that he would activate an explosive device if his demands were not met,” Janse van Rensburg said on Friday.

She said K9 and police explosives units had responded swiftly and evacuated everyone inside the bank.