Former German tennis player Boris Becker was sentenced to two and a half years in prison by a London court on Friday for hiding hundreds of thousands of pounds in assets after being declared bankrupt.
Becker, 54, was convicted of four counts under the UK Insolvency Act, including non-disclosure, concealment and removal of significant assets following a bankruptcy judgment.
A champion of six Grand Slam tournaments, he was found guilty of transferring money to his ex-wife Barbara and estranged wife Sharlely following his bankruptcy in 2017.
“It is remarkable that you have shown no remorse or acceptance of your guilt,” Justice Deborah Taylor told Becker when sentencing him at Southwark Crown Court in London. “There was no humility.”
The judge said Becker would serve half of his sentence behind bars and the rest on parole. Becker, whose current partner Lillian and son Noah were in court, looked straight ahead without showing emotion as the sentence was handed down.
He had previously been convicted of tax evasion in Germany in 2002, but without jail time.
During the trial, details were revealed about Becker’s career and how the former world number one, who won the Wimbledon tournament three times, lost his fortune after his retirement.
The jury heard how he said he didn’t know the location of some of his trophies, how he took a high-interest loan from one of the UK’s richest businessmen, and tried to avoid bankruptcy with diplomatic protection from the Central African Republic.
Becker “was selective in declaring his assets,” said prosecutor Rebecca Chalkley.
The former tennis champion was declared bankrupt due to a debt owed to Arbuthnot Latham & Co and, under the terms of bankruptcy law, was required to provide full disclosure of his assets.
He was convicted of failing to declare property in Germany, hiding an 825,000 euro bank loan and shares in a Canadian technology company.
He had denied all the allegations, saying he had cooperated with the bankruptcy process — even offering his wedding ring — and had confided in his advisers.
“His reputation, an essential part of the brand that gives him work, is in tatters,” said Becker’s attorney, Jonathan Laidlaw. “His fall is not simply a fall from grace, and amounts to the most public of humiliations.”
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have a vast amount of experience in covering health news. I am also an author at News Bulletin 247. I am highly experienced and knowledgeable in this field. I am a hard worker and always deliver quality work. I am a reliable source of information and always provide accurate information.
