Tennis icon Boris Becker facing huge jail term after guilty verdict
German tennis legend Boris Becker is facing a lengthy stint in jail after being found guilty of charges relating to his 2017 bankruptcy.
The 54-year-old German was accused of hiding millions of dollars worth of assets, including two Wimbledon trophies, to avoid paying his debts.
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Becker, who has lived in Britain since 2012, said he had co-operated with trustees trying to secure his assets, even offering his wedding ring, and relied on the advisers who managed his life away from tennis.
Becker told the court he earned a "vast amount" during his career, with the court hearing he won some $50 million in prize money and sponsorship deals.
However, the German - who went on to coach World No.1 Novak Djokovic for a period - said his earnings "reduced dramatically" following his retirement in 1999.
He told Southwark Crown Court he was involved in an "expensive divorce" from ex-wife Barbara Becker in 2001, which included high maintenance payments to their two sons.
But a jury found him guilty of four charges, including removal of property, two counts of failing to disclose estate and concealing debt.
Becker faces up to seven years in jail as a result of the guilty verdict, with the court acquitting him of a further 20 charges.
The German was working as a commentator for the BBC - along with Australian and Japanese outlets - when he declared bankruptcy in 2017.
He admitted to court that he felt "shocked" and "embarrassed" working at Wimbledon at the time, with his situation constantly being in the news.
"As you can imagine, I was very shocked at the fact. Because it was all over world news, and I walked through the gate of Wimbledon and everyone knew," he told court.
"I was embarrassed because I was bankrupt."
The 54-year-old German said he had been seeking to pay off a more than £3 million ($AUD 5.24 million) loan from private bank Arbuthnot Latham, including through the sale of his estate in Spain.
Becker said he was struggling to earn money because of 'damaging publicity "all around the world", but said it impacted him most in Germany and the UK.
"It is very difficult when you are bankrupt and in the headlines every week for it. It is very difficult to make a lot of money with my name," he said.
Boris Becker granted conditional bail
Judge Deborah Taylor released the six-time Grand Slam singles champion on conditional bail ahead of sentencing on April 29, when he could face a jail sentence of up to seven years.
Becker did not respond to reporters' questions as he left the court.
The court was told Becker received $AUD 1.65 million from the sale of a Mercedes car dealership he owned in Germany, which was paid into a business account used as his "piggy bank" for personal expenses.
He was found guilty of transferring hundreds of thousands of pounds to other accounts, including those of his ex-wife Barbara and estranged wife Sharlely "Lilly" Becker, the mother of his fourth child.
Becker was also convicted of failing to declare a property in Germany, and hiding a $AUD 1.2 million bank loan and shares in a tech firm.
He was acquitted Friday of nine counts of failing to hand over trophies and medals from a glittering tennis career that yielded 49 singles titles in total.
He told jurors he did not know the whereabouts of several pieces of silverware, including his first Wimbledon trophy, when Becker became the youngest winner of the men's singles title at the grass-court Grand Slam aged just 17 in 1985.
with agencies
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