Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker arrived at court wearing a tie in the tennis tournament’s colours as he faces sentencing for hiding £2.5 million worth of assets and loans to avoid paying his debts.
The former world number one, 54, was declared bankrupt on June 21 2017, owing creditors almost £50 million, over an unpaid loan of more than £3 million on his estate in Mallorca, Spain.
BBC commentator Becker transferred almost 427,000 euros (around £390,000) from his business account to others, including those of his ex-wife Barbara Becker and estranged wife Sharlely “Lilly” Becker.
The father-of-four also failed to declare his share in a £1 million property in his home town of Leimen, Germany, hid an 825,000 euro (almost £700,000) bank loan – worth £1.1 million with interest – and concealed 75,000 shares in a tech firm, valued at £66,000.
Becker, who was handed a two-year suspended sentence for tax evasion and attempted tax evasion worth 1.7 million euro (around £1.4 million) in Germany in 2002, was found guilty of four offences under the Insolvency Act between June 21 and October 3 2017 earlier this month.
Each count carries a maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment and Judge Deborah Taylor will sentence the six-time Grand Slam champion at Southwark Crown Court on Friday afternoon.
Becker, wearing a striped tie in the Wimbledon colours of purple and green, arrived at court holding the hand of partner Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro, while his eldest son Noah carried a large Puma bag.
The tennis star told jurors his 50 million US dollar (about £38 million) career earnings were swallowed up by an expensive divorce to his first wife Barbara, child maintenance payments and “expensive lifestyle commitments”.
The German national, who has lived in the UK since 2012, said he was “shocked” and “embarrassed” when he was declared bankrupt. He claimed he had co-operated with trustees tasked with securing his assets, even offering up his wedding ring, and relied on the advisers who managed his life. (Standard)