Breaking: Boris Becker Sentenced to 2.5 years in prison, found guilty of four charges
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Boris Becker
Boris Becker, the legendary tennis player, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison on Friday for illegally moving substantial sums of money and concealing assets after being declared bankrupt. The three-time Wimbledon champion had faced a sentence of seven years in prison earlier this month after being found guilty of four counts under the Insolvency Act. After hearing arguments from both the prosecutor and Becker’s attorney, Judge Deborah Taylor handed down the sentence.
Boris Becker denied all the charges
Following his bankruptcy in June 2017, the 54-year-old German was discovered to have transferred hundreds of thousands of pounds from his business account to other accounts, including that of his ex-wife Barbara and former wife Sharlely “Lilly” Becker. Becker was also found guilty of not declaring a property in Germany and concealing an 825,000 euro ($871,000) bank loan and shares in a technology company.
He was acquitted on 20 additional counts by a jury in London’s Southwark Crown Court, including claims that he failed to hand over his numerous achievements, including two Wimbledon trophies and an Olympic gold medal.
Boris Becker arrived at the courthouse with girlfriend Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro, sporting a striped tie in Wimbledon’s purple and green colours. The six-time Grand Slam champion has rejected all claims, claiming that he worked with trustees to secure his assets, even giving up his wedding band and that he followed expert advice.
Prosecutor Rebecca Chalkley claimed Becker behaved “deliberately and dishonestly” and was “still seeking to blame others” at his time of sentencing on Friday. However, Jonathan Laidlaw, the defence attorney, pleaded for clemency, claiming that his client had spent money on child support, rent, and economic and regulatory expenditures rather than on a “lavish lifestyle.” Becker has been “publicly humiliated,” he told the court and has no future revenue potential.
According to testimony during the trial, Becker’s bankruptcy was caused by a 4.6 million euro ($5 million) loan from a private bank in 2013, as well as a $1.6 million loan from a British businessman the following year. Becker claimed during the trial that his $50 million career earnings were wiped out by payments for an “expensive divorce” and debts incurred when he lost substantial parts of his income after retirement.
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Pritha Ghosh
(414 Articles Published)