Boris Becker sentenced to two and a half years in jail after conviction in bankruptcy case

Gallery

MORE...

Sports

First Serve, AITA Partner to empower athletes through Wheelchair Tennis Championship

First Serve, an NGO founded by Reyaan Punj, recently organised the second edition of AITA

Bajrang Punia provisionally suspended by NADA, Paris berth at stake: Sources

Laureus Award 2024 : Novak Djokovic, Aitana Bonmati win top honours at Laureus Sports Awards

Asian Games medallist Jyothi Yarraji to train in Spain ahead of Paris Olympics

Lione Messi said Retirement not on my mind

Indian Wells: Alcaraz, Swiatek win titles

MORE...

Boris Becker sentenced to two and a half years in jail after conviction in bankruptcy case

Last Updated : 29 Apr 2022 09:16:45 PM IST

Boris Becker sentenced to two and a half years in jail after conviction in bankruptcy case

German tennis legend Boris Becker has been sentenced to two and a half years jail term for hiding 2.5 million pounds sterling worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts.

Becker, 54, was on Friday handed the two and a half years jail term after being found guilty by a British court of charges relating to his 2017 bankruptcy.

However, the former Wimbledon champion had denied breaking UK insolvency laws after he was declared bankrupt in 2017, owing creditors almost �50m.

But he was found guilty of four charges by a jury under the Insolvency Act. He was cleared on 20 counts.

The court was told that the six-time Grand Slam champion sent almost �390,000 in payments from his business account to others.

The case centered on Becker's bankruptcy in June 2017 resulting from an unpaid loan of more than �3m on his luxury estate in Mallorca, Spain, the BBC reported on Friday.

Becker was earlier this month found guilty by a jury after two weeks or so of hearing evidence. He was found guilty of removal of the property, two counts of failing to disclose estate and concealing debt.

Boom, Boom Becker as he was known during his heyday, the German burst onto the tennis circuit by sensationally winning the Wimbledon title in 1985 when he was 17 years and 228 days old.

He got into financial troubles a few years after retiring from tennis as some of the investments he made did not work out. A big payout in a divorce settlement with his first wife Barbara Feltus.

Becker has faced similar allegations of tax evasion in Germany also.

In October 2002, the Munich District Court sentenced him to two years in prison for tax evasion -- the execution of the sentence was suspended. In addition, he was sentenced to pay a fine of 300,000 euros and another 200,000 euros to various charitable institutions.