- Former tennis star jailed by London court
- Becker convicted of bankruptcy crimes
- The judge says he showed no humility
- Becker’s reputation is “devastated,” says his lawyer
LONDON, April 29 – German tennis star Boris Becker was sentenced to two years and six months in prison by a London court on Friday for hiding hundreds of thousands of pounds in assets after he was declared bankrupt.
Becker was convicted earlier this month of four charges under UK bankruptcy law, including failing to disclose, conceal and remove significant assets following bankruptcy proceedings.
The 54-year-old six-time Grand Slam champion was found guilty of wiring 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 accepted your guilt,” Judge Deborah Taylor told him when sentencing him at London’s Southwark Crown Court.
“While I accept the humiliation you have felt as a result of this proceeding, you have shown no humility.”
She said Becker will serve half his sentence behind bars and the rest on license. Becker, whose partner Lillian and son Noah were on trial, looked straight ahead and showed no emotion at the verdict.
He had previously been given a suspended sentence in Germany in 2002 for tax evasion.
The trial had heard details about Becker’s career and how the former world number one, who won the Wimbledon championship three times, lost his fortune after retiring.
The jury heard him claim not to know the location of some of his trophies, how he took out a high-interest loan from one of Britain’s wealthiest businessmen and attempted to avoid bankruptcy by claiming to have diplomatic protection from the Central African Republic.
Becker’s attorney, Jonathan Laidlaw, had told the court that the tennis player “did literally have nothing to show for what was the finest sporting career ever” and that his case was “nothing short of a tragedy” as he pleaded for leniency.
When Becker won his first Wimbledon final in 1985 at the age of 17, he became the youngest and first unseeded player to win the men’s singles title. He won two more Wimbledon titles.
Becker wore a purple and green tie from the Wimbledon tournament when he appeared in court on Friday.
Prosecutor Rebecca Chalkley accused Becker of “maliciously playing the system” by concealing and transferring assets, and had deprived creditors of more than £2million ($2.51million) in assets, none of which have so far been repaid had been.
“When it suited him, he made full disclosure, when it didn’t suit him, he didn’t,” she said as she urged the judge to impose a custodial sentence.
The former tennis champion was declared bankrupt in connection with a debt to private banker Arbuthnot Latham & Co and under the terms of the bankruptcy order he was required to fully disclose his assets.
He was convicted of failing to declare property in Germany, hiding an 825,000 euro ($870,127) bank loan and holding shares in a Canadian tech company.
He had denied all allegations, saying he had cooperated in the bankruptcy proceedings – even offered his wedding ring – and relied on his advisers.
Becker was cleared of 20 other charges at trial, including charges that he failed to turn over other assets, including two Wimbledon trophies and an Olympic gold medal.
“His reputation, an integral part of the brand that gives him work, is in tatters,” Laidlaw said. “His fall is not simply a fall from grace and amounts to the most public humiliation of all.”
Reporting by Andrew MacAskill; Edited by Jon Boyle and Nick Macfie