Tennis player Boris Becker was sentenced to two years in prison on Friday for illegally transferring large sums of money and concealing assets after he was declared bankrupt.
The three-time Wimbledon champion was convicted earlier this month on four charges under the Bankruptcy Act and faces a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
Judge Deborah Taylor announced the verdict after hearing arguments from both the prosecutor and Becker’s lawyer. She told the former top-class player that he had shown no remorse.
“Although I accept your humiliation as part of the procedure, there has been no humility,” Taylor said.
Becker will have to serve at least 15 months before eligible for release.
The 54-year-old German has been found to have transferred hundreds of thousands of pounds since his bankruptcy in June 2017 from his business account to other accounts, including those of his ex-wife Barbara and estranged wife Charlie “Lily” Becker.
Becker was also convicted of failing to declare property in Germany and withholding a bank loan of 825,000 euros (about $ 1.12 million) and shares in a technology company.
A jury at Southwark Crown Court in London acquitted him of 20 other charges, including allegations that he failed to present his many awards, including two Wimbledon trophies and an Olympic gold medal.
Dismisses all charges
Becker, wearing a striped purple and green Wimbledon tie, entered the courthouse, hand in hand with his girlfriend, Lillian de Carvalho Monteiro.
The six-time Grand Slam champion has denied all allegations, saying he cooperated with trustees in charge of securing his assets – even offering his wedding ring – and acted on expert advice.
At a sentencing hearing on Friday, prosecutor Rebecca Chackley said Becker had acted “intentionally and dishonestly” and that he was “still trying to blame others”.
Defense attorney Jonathan Leidlow called for leniency, saying his client had not spent money on a “luxury lifestyle” but rather on child support, rent and legal and business expenses. Becker, he told the court, has experienced “public humiliation” and has no potential for future profits.
The judge said Becker’s two-year suspended sentence for tax evasion and attempted tax evasion in Germany in 2002 was a “significant aggravating factor” in her ruling Friday. She said he “did not heed the warning” and the possibility of this suspended sentence.
Becker’s bankruptcy stemmed from a $ 4.6 million loan (about $ 6.2 million) from a private bank in 2013, as well as about $ 1.6 million borrowed from a British businessman a year later, according to reports. during the process.
During the trial, Becker said his $ 50 million career was consumed by “expensive divorce” payments and debts when he lost much of his income after retirement.
Becker rose to stardom in 1985 at the age of 17 when he became the first unplaced player to win the Wimbledon singles title and later rose to No. 1 on the charts. He has lived in the UK since 2012.
Add Comment