The six-time Grand Slam champion said his $ 50 million career profits had been swallowed up by “expensive divorces” and debts.
The great German tennis player Boris Becker was sentenced to two and a half years in prison by a London court for concealing his property from creditors after he was declared bankrupt.
Judge Deborah Taylor handed down the verdict on Friday after hearing arguments from Becker’s prosecutor and lawyer in Southwark Crown Court.
Becker, who was previously sentenced to two years probation for tax evasion and attempted tax evasion in Germany in 2002, was found guilty of four offenses under the UK’s Insolvency Act earlier this month.
“You did not pay attention to the warning you were given and the chance you were given with the suspended sentence, and this is a significant aggravating factor,” the judge said, referring to Becker’s previous sentence.
“I take into account what has been described as your falling away from grace,” the judge continued.
“You lost your career and your reputation and all your property as a result of your bankruptcy.”
But she added: “You have not shown remorse, you have not admitted your guilt and you have tried to distance yourself from insult and bankruptcy.
“Although I accept the humiliation you felt as a result of these procedures, you have not shown humility.
Becker’s bankruptcy stemmed from a $ 4.6 million ($ 5 million) loan from a private bank in 2013, as well as about $ 1.6 million borrowed from a British businessman a year later, according to testimony during the trial.
During the trial, Becker said his $ 50 million career income was absorbed by “expensive divorce” payments and debts when he lost much of his income after retirement.
Boris Becker flew through the air to return the blow from Australian Wally Mazur during their match at the second round of Wimbledon in 1990. [File: Dave Caulkin/AP Photo]
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.
He was also convicted of not declaring property in Germany and of evading a bank loan of 825,000 euros ($ 871,000) and shares in a technology company.
The jury acquitted Becker of 20 other charges, including allegations that he failed to hand over assets, including two Wimbledon trophies and an Olympic gold medal.
“public humiliation”
Becker, dressed in a striped purple and green Wimbledon tie, entered the court hand in hand with his girlfriend, Lillian de Carvalho Monteiro. He showed no emotion before being taken to his cells.
The six-time Grand Slam champion has denied all allegations, saying he cooperated with trustees tasked with protecting 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.
“Boris Becker literally has nothing and also nothing to show for what was the most brilliant of his sports careers, and this is rightly called just a tragedy,” he said.
Becker rose to stardom in 1985 at the age of 17 when he became the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon singles title and later become the world’s best tennis player.
He has lived in the UK since 2012.
Add Comment