Boris Becker jailed for two and a half years for breaking bankruptcy rules

Former tennis champion was accompanied to court by his girlfriend, Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro

Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker arrives for sentencing at Southwark Crown Court in London on Friday. PA

Tennis ace Boris Becker has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for flouting the terms of his bankruptcy.

The three-time Wimbledon champion, 54, arrived at Southwark Crown Court on Friday wearing a Wimbledon tie and holding hands with his girlfriend, Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro.

The former world number one will serve half of his prison sentence, handed down by Judge Deborah Taylor, and will be eligible for release thereafter.

Boris Becker has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison. PA

Sky News reported Becker appeared “shocked” as his sentence was announced and “struggled to pick up a bag that he'd brought into court with him".

Sentencing the former sportsman, Ms Taylor said Becker had not shown remorse or acceptance of guilt.

She told Becker: “You have … sought to distance yourself from your offending and your bankruptcy.

“While I accept your humiliation as part of the proceedings, there has been no humility.”

Becker was earlier this month found guilty of hiding £2.5 million worth of assets and loans to avoid paying his debts.

He had transferred hundreds of thousands of pounds from his business account and failed to declare a property in his home town of Leimen, Germany.

The former Wimbledon champion was found guilty of four offences under the Insolvency Act between June 21 and October 3, 2017.

He was declared bankrupt on June 21, 2017, owing creditors almost £50m over an unpaid loan of more than £3m on his estate in Mallorca, Spain.

Each offence under the Insolvency Act, which include removal of property, two counts of failing to disclose estate and concealing debt, carries a maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment.

Dean Beale, chief executive of the Insolvency Service, said: “Boris Becker’s sentence clearly demonstrates that concealing assets in bankruptcy is a serious offence for which we will prosecute and bring offenders to justice.”

The six-time Grand Slam champion has a previous conviction for tax evasion and attempted tax evasion in Germany in 2002.

On Thursday, he was seen getting out of a taxi in Knightsbridge and visiting Harrods through a private entrance.

Boris Becker through the years — in pictures

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  Boris Becker kisses the Wimbledon Men's Singles trophy, after his 1985 victory over South Africa's Kevin Curren at the London tournament. Getty Images

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  Becker celebrates his 1985 Wimbledon win. Aged 17 years, 227 days, he was the youngest male Grand Slam winner at the time. Getty Images

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  Becker serves during the final of the 1989 Monte Carlo Open Tennis Championship in France. He lost to Argentina's Alberto Mancini. Getty Images

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  German stars Steffi Graf and Becker were both singles champions at Wimbledon in 1989. Becker defeated Sweden's Stefan Edberg. Getty Images

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  Becker dives to make a return during the 1994 Wimbledon Men's Singles semi-final He lost to Croatia's Goran Ivanisevic. Getty Images

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  Becker holds aloft the trophy after defeating Michael Chang to win the 1996 Men's Singles final of the Australian Open. It was his sixth and final Grand Slam title. Getty Images

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  Becker poses with his wife Lilly Becker at an awards ceremony in Munich in 2013. The couple separated in 2018. Getty Images

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  Novak Djokovic celebrates with coach Becker, after winning the Men's Singles title at the 2016 French Open. Getty Images

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  Becker with his sons Elias and Noah at the 2020 Laureus World Sports Awards in Berlin. Getty Images

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  The former tennis world no 1 arrives for an insolvency hearing at The City of Westminster Magistrates Court, London in September 2020. Getty Images

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  Becker leaves after his bankruptcy offences trial at Southwark Crown Court in London. He was found guilty of removal of property, two counts of failing to disclose estate and concealing debt. Reuters