Background
Despite only ever making three on-screen appearances, much of Slater's background is revealed in some detail by conversations between other characters and reminisces of Slater himself.
As a child, Slater longed to be part of Del Boy's gang at school as they used to sit next to each other in class, but he was always an outsider, widely reviled amongst his peers, and renowned for his slyness. For example, after a gang of lads pinned Slater down, Trigger tried to pour itching powder into his belly button, only to be stopped by Del. However despite Del having rescued him, Slater later repaid the favour by telling the headmaster that Del was kissing Slater's sister behind the bicycle sheds. The others generally showed their contempt of Slater during their games, as when they played Pirates, Slater was always the one who walked the plank. He actually longed to play Bluebeard but was so widely disliked that the others didn't let him. They eventually did let him be Bluebeard, however that was "on the day Bluebeard walked the plank".
Eventually, out of contempt for the others, Slater joined the police force but never conducted himself or his duties with the integrity the post required. In fact, Del once summarised Slater in one of the show's legendary poignant moments:
"Now listen to me, Slater... I know a lot of coppers and they're all good blokes. I mean, I don't like 'em, but they play a fair game. Then there's you, you lousy, stinking...".
Del is then stopped by Slater who states that he doesn't think he has enough room for abusive language on the charge sheet.
Slater's enjoyment of the power of being a police officer was so embedded he even arrested his own father, Harry, for having a faulty light on his bike while going to the fish shop, Harry having borrowed the bike from Slater himself. Slater claimed he had no choice, but Del, knowing Slater told him he'd never regretted making an arrest in his life. This resulted in Slater's father naturally despising him; Del comments in "The Class of '62" that Harry hated Slater more than anyone else, so much so that upon Harry's death, Slater's mother wrote to the prison governor asking him to ban Roy from the funeral.
Read more about this topic: DCI Roy Slater
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