Becker was declared insolvent by the court in 2017 and then had to disclose his assets. Nevertheless, he concealed several possessions. Three weeks ago, lay judges at Southwark Crown Court in London found him guilty of four charges.
Incriminated were six-figure transfers to his ex-wives Lilly and Barbara Becker, ownership of his parents’ house in Leimen, where his mother Elvira lives, and ownership of shares in an artificial intelligence company.
20 charges dismissed
The public prosecutor had raised a total of 24 charges against Becker. Prosecutor Rebecca Chalkley found it proven that he had deliberately concealed numerous possessions and was now blaming his advisers, who he said had handled his finances. Becker’s defense attorney said his client was naive but innocent. The jury followed this line of argument in 20 points, including when it came to the question of missing trophies.
Judge: Remorse not apparent
Judge Taylor on Friday criticized Becker for showing no remorse and trying to distance himself from advisors whom he blamed for his problems. He knew his obligations because of the bankruptcy. A large sum of money is lost forever and cannot benefit Becker’s creditors. At the same time, Taylor acknowledged that Becker’s career and image had finally been destroyed.
Taylor sentenced Becker to two and a half years in prison for the unauthorized and intentional transfer of several hundred thousand euros. Because of the other three guilty verdicts, she ordered 18 months in prison. Since the sentences are formally served in parallel, the total length of imprisonment was 30 months. The insolvency authority (Insolvency Service) said after the sentence was announced that it clearly shows “that hiding assets in an insolvency is a serious crime, for which we prosecute perpetrators and bring them to justice”.
Defense asked for clemency
The representative of the prosecution and Becker’s defense had the floor again on Friday. Prosecutor Chalkley did not specify a sentence, but made it clear that she did not believe that a suspended sentence was sufficient. The fact that Becker had transferred large sums of money the day after the court-ordered bankruptcy was similar to money laundering.
Becker’s lawyer, Jonathan Laidlaw, asked for clemency and advocated a suspended sentence of no more than two years. The transfers were payments to his ex-wife Barbara and his wife Lilly and his children, who were dependent on him. Laidlaw acknowledged that Becker broke the law, but said it wasn’t a serious case.
The three-time Wimbledon winner had collected around 25 million US dollars in prize money during his career and, according to his own estimates, earned around the same amount from advertising. Nevertheless, he got into financial problems – in 2017 he was declared bankrupt by a court. Becker blamed the expensive divorce from ex-wife Barbara and high maintenance costs for daughter Anna Ermakowa in court. He was “shocked” and “ashamed” by his declaration of bankruptcy.
Already repeatedly in the sights of the judiciary
Becker, who won six Grand Slam tournaments in his sports career, has repeatedly had legal difficulties with money matters. In 2002, a court in Munich sentenced Becker to a two-year suspended prison sentence and a fine of €500,000 for tax evasion of around €1.7 million. The Spanish judiciary targeted Becker for debts related to his villa in Mallorca; and the Swiss judiciary for allegedly failing to pay the pastor who married him in 2009.
Viewed in the UK
Becker lives in London and comments on tennis tournaments for the BBC, among other things. He is very popular with the British. His partner Lilian De Carvalho Monteiro has accompanied him to court every day since the trial began on March 21, most recently his eldest son Noah was also at his side.
Becker also received encouragement from other celebrities. “Boris didn’t rip off impoverished grannies,” said entertainer Thomas Gottschalk after the conviction of the “Bild” newspaper. In the worst case, “a few rich financiers who wanted to adorn themselves with the fame of the tennis idol became a little poorer”. “My sympathy for them is limited,” quoted “Bild” the 71-year-old Gottschalk.
The President of the German Tennis Association (DTB), Dietloff von Arnim, also reaffirmed his loyalty: Becker had “undeniably celebrated outstanding successes” for German tennis. Before the verdict was announced, the President explained that the DTB “can only wish him all the best for today”. “We stand there, I would say, loyal to our tennis icon.”
