Keaton Slater's parents' fight to bring Latvian killer to UK
A Coventry family’s two-year campaign to bring Aleksanders Dolars, the Latvian driver suspected of fatally striking 12-year-old Keaton Slater, back from Latvia culminated in his extradition and a nine-year-four-month jail term. After Dolars fled the scene, the parents intensified a cross-border pursuit involving political pressure, embassy outreach, and legal maneuvering across Brexit-era gaps in extradition cooperation. A sustained public campaign, including a Latvia-UK embassy meeting and parliamentary support, helped shift policy, leading to Latvia considering extradition on a case-by-case basis. The case marks Latvia’s first extradition under new post-Brexit rules, with the family’s advocacy shaping the broader justice landscape and community healing. Keaton Slater’s death and the ensuing efforts are framed as a watershed for cross-border justice and accountability.
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Dolars was identified as the main suspect on 18 June 2024 after a high-speed hit-and-run in Radford Road, Coventry, which left 12-year-old Keaton Slater dead and prompted a search for the fleeing driver who had driven off with a rucksack and a shoe on scene.
Keaton’s parents, Louise and Clint Slater, launched a relentless two-year campaign to locate Dolars and compel his return to the UK, including appeals at his Latvia home and coordinating with police to track his movements through phone records.
Latvia’s ambassador to the UK and UK MPs, notably Taiwo Owatemi, provided political traction, with discussions emphasizing that Dolars’ case threatened bilateral relations and Latvians’ desire to avoid national shame.
In April 2025, a meeting with Latvia’s UK ambassador yielded optimism about extradition prospects, as the ambassador indicated a stance against Dolars remaining in the UK’s orbit, described internally as a ‘black sheep’ situation by Latvians.
February 2026 saw a legislative shift in Latvia to allow extraditions to the UK on a case-by-case basis, a change driven in part by the campaign and the broader push for cross-border justice; Dolars was arrested in Latvia in July and extradited in August 2026.
Detective Chief Inspector Sam Lewis described Dolars’ handover as an ‘indescribable day,’ and Louise Slater recalled crying upon learning of the extradition, expressing gratitude to Latvian authorities and the community that rallied around them.
CPS specialist prosecutor Tamina Greaves credited the family’s diligence and narrative with catalyzing policy change and noted that the case required collaboration with Latvian counterparts to secure his return to the UK.