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Topics: Sport
Anish Vij
Tennis legend Boris Becker has been jailed for two and a half years for hiding £2.5 million worth of assets and loans while avoid paying his debts.
On Friday (29 April), the six-time Grand Slam singles champion was sentenced to two-and-a-half years imprisonment of which he will serve half, at Southwark Crown Court.
The three-time Wimbledon champion was declared bankrupt on June 21 2017.
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The 54-year-old reportedly owed creditors almost £50 million because of an unpaid loan of more than £3 million on his estate in Mallorca, Spain.
He was said to have transferred €427,000 (£390,000) from his business account to his wife and ex-wife, as well as others.
The commentator failed to declare his share in a £1 million property in his home town of Leimen, Germany.
He also hid a €825,000 (£700,000) bank loan worth £1.1 million with interest, along with 75,000 shares in a tech firm, valued at £66,000.
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Becker was handed a two-year suspended sentence for tax evasion attempted tax evasion worth €1.7 million (£1.4 million) in Germany in 2002.
The sports icon was also found guilty of four offences under the Insolvency Act between June 21 and October 3 2017.
Referring to his previous conviction, Judge Deborah Taylor said: “You did not heed the warning you were given and the chance you were given by the suspended sentence and that is a significant aggravating factor.”
She told Becker: “I take into account what has been described as your fall from grace.
“You have lost your career and reputation and all of your property as a result of your bankruptcy.”
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But she added: “You have not shown remorse, acceptance of your guilt and 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.”
At the age of 17, Becker won the first of his six Grand Slam singles titles, including three Wimbledon Championships, two Australian Opens and one US Open.
He also won three year-end championships, 13 Masters Series titles and an Olympic gold medal in doubles.
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Back in 1989, he was voted the Player of the Year by both the ATP and the ITF.
He is also the first male player to appear in seven Wimbledon finals, which equals the record set by Pete Sampras and Novak Djokovic.
Becker has since lived a turbulent personal life, while admitting to having some struggles with fame.