At the London criminal trial against Boris Becker, the former tennis star testified in detail for the first time.
On the fifth day of the suit for possible asset concealment during his bankruptcy, the Londoner by choice answered questions from the defence.
The 54-year-old looked a little melancholy as he entered the courtroom in the unadorned Southwark Crown Court building in the heart of the British capital. He wore a steel blue suit with a white shirt and blue sneakers. After all: during his testimony, he was allowed to leave the defendant’s window in the middle of the room and sit on the witness stand.
During the hour-long hearing, his attorney Jonathan Laidlaw spoke mostly, asking Becker questions about his private life, his sporting and professional career and – most of all – his relationship with money. Becker has repeatedly commented on his attorney’s statements: “Correct.”
Becker never worried about financial matters
The line of defense soon became clear: the former tennis star was never concerned with financial matters, but always relied on the judgment of his advisers.
He himself never paid any bills. Becker also didn’t have the time or patience to read contracts. This is “unfortunately” still the case, said the former tennis star. Leimener, who lives in London, said he didn’t know how many accounts he had. Every now and then Becker turned to his translator.
The 24 charges include the fact that the three-time Wimbledon champion had attempted to remove cash and valuables such as trophies and real estate from the insolvency practitioner’s access. Becker denies this. Theoretically, he could face up to seven years in prison.
Negligence, no intention
Defense attorney Laidlaw introduced the jury to a man who may have gotten into the situation he is in through negligence, but not malicious intent.
In 2017, Becker was declared bankrupt by a court in London. The trigger was that he could no longer repay a loan from an English private bank that he had taken out a few years earlier – with an interest rate of 25%.
Prior to that, the defense attorney explained how Becker suffered a loss of image as well as assets and sources of income due to the separation from his first wife, Barbara. The bankruptcy itself drastically reduced his income, Becker said.
While a personal bankruptcy in England can usually be completed within 12 months, the process has continued ever since. Various conditions against the 54-year-old man have been extended to a period of twelve years.
For Becker, it’s about not being found guilty. It was still unclear on Monday whether the strategy adopted by his defense attorney would be caught by the jury, and the trial could drag on for another two weeks.
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