Former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for hiding £2.5 million worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts. The 54-year-old six-time Grand Slam winner was found guilty of four charges under the Insolvency Act at Southwark Crown Court.
The case centred on Becker's bankruptcy in June 2017, which resulted from an unpaid loan of more than £3 million on his luxury estate in Mallorca, Spain. Judge Deborah Taylor said Becker had shown no remorse or acceptance of guilt, noting his previous conviction for tax evasion in Germany in 2002 as a significant aggravating factor.
Becker was legally obliged to disclose all assets so that his trustee could distribute funds to creditors, to whom he owed nearly £50 million. The jury found him guilty of removal of property, two counts of failing to disclose estate, and concealing debt. He was acquitted on 20 other charges, including failing to hand over tennis trophies and medals.
Prosecutor Rebecca Chalkley said Becker had acted 'deliberately and dishonestly'. The jury found he failed to declare his share in a £1 million property in Germany, hid a bank loan of almost £700,000 on that house, and concealed shares in a technology firm valued at £66,000. He also made £390,000 worth of payments from his business account to others, including his ex-wife and estranged wife.
Becker's barrister, Jonathan Laidlaw QC, described his client's 'fall from grace' as a tragedy, stating the proceedings had destroyed his career and any further prospect of earning an income. Becker had told the jury his career earnings of $50 million were spent on an expensive divorce, child maintenance, and lifestyle commitments.
Dean Beale, chief executive of the Insolvency Service, said the sentence 'clearly demonstrates that concealing assets in bankruptcy is a serious offence'. BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller suggested Becker would likely rebuild his career through coaching and TV commentating after serving his time.
