London, Europe Breif News – Former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker has been jailed for two and a half years for hiding £2.5m worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts.
The six-time Grand Slam champion had denied breaking UK insolvency laws after he was declared bankrupt in 2017, owing creditors almost £50m.
Becker, 54, was found guilty of four charges by a jury under the Insolvency Act. He was cleared on 20 counts.
He sent almost £390,000 in payments from his business account to others.
The case centred on Becker’s bankruptcy in June 2017 resulting from an unpaid loan of more than £3m on his luxury estate in Mallorca, Spain.
Earlier this month, after two weeks or so hearing evidence, jurors found Becker guilty of removal of property, two counts of failing to disclose estate and concealing debt.
They acquitted him on a further 20 charges, including nine counts of failing to hand over his tennis trophies and medals, including two from Wimbledon.
‘Hopeless case’ managing money
Jonathan Laidlaw, defending, had tried to absolve Becker from blame, describing his client as a “hopeless case” when it comes to managing his money and instead blaming financial advisors who had managed Becker’s affairs in a “chaotic” manner.
But Rebecca Chalkley, prosecuting, told jurors that Becker had given bankruptcy officials the “runaround.” She added: “The obligations and duties were with him.”
As early as 2002, Becker was handed a suspended sentence by a court in Munich after being found guilty of tax evasion.
While awaiting sentencing on Friday, he received support from the president of the German Tennis Federation (DTB), Dietloff von Arnim, who said Becker had brought “indisputably outstanding successes” to German tennis, wishing him “all the best” and adding:
“We stand faithfully by the side of our tennis icon.”
