The jury found Boris Becker guilty on four out of 24 charges. The tennis star must be in custody. A lawyer speaks of a “celebrity bonus”.
Update from Saturday, April 30th, 08:00: Patrick Jacobshagen, a lawyer from Berlin and an expert on the English legal system, considers the verdict against Boris Becker to be too lax. Becker received a “celebrity bonus”, he told the news portal Focus Online. Colleagues had expected five years in prison for the tennis legend, Jacobshagen said in an interview. Becker was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison on Friday.
According to the Berlin lawyer, Becker can now appeal the verdict within 28 days. But that should be expensive for the 54-year-old: “British lawyers are highly paid,” stressed Jacobshagen.
Boris Becker: Tennis legend sentenced to 2.5 years in prison
+++ 7:45 p.m.: Judge Deborah Taylor accused Becker of not showing remorse and not acknowledging his guilt. His previous conviction in Germany for tax offenses is also a “considerable aggravating factor”. She warned that he would have to serve the suspended remainder of his sentence if he violated the terms.
After a guilty verdict in the London trial: Boris Becker has to go to prison
+++ 5.34 p.m.: It has been clear for several weeks that Boris Becker will be found guilty of four out of 24 charges. On Friday, a judge at Southwark Crown Court in London announced that he would be sentenced to two and a half years in prison. The 54-year-old only has to serve half of the sentence. The world star is faced with the ruins of his existence, as his lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw describes in emotional closing words. “He’s got practically nothing left,” says Laidlaw when he pleads for a lenient sentence.
Becker is still held in high esteem in Great Britain – as a sports legend and as a tennis expert, for example for the BBC. It is unclear whether the 54-year-old can continue working after his sentence. He now has 28 days to appeal the verdict.
Update from Friday, April 29, 4:50 p.m.: Former tennis star Boris Becker has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison for his bankruptcy crimes. That was decided by a court in London on Friday. After one year and three months – i.e. halfway through the prison term – the sentence can be suspended if necessary.
Sentence expected for Boris Becker: meeting starts on Friday at 1 p.m
Update from Friday, April 29, 2:19 p.m.: The court session in which the sentence against ex-tennis star Boris Becker will be announced began on Friday (April 29) at around 1 p.m. in London. There was a great deal of pressure at Southwark Crown Court for the decision. The meeting was therefore moved to a much larger room at short notice.
Prosecutor Rebecca Chalkley said on Friday that Becker committed a serious breach of trust. She also pointed out that he had been convicted of tax evasion in Germany. Chalkley didn’t name a sentence, but made it clear that she didn’t think a suspended sentence was enough. The fact that he had transferred large sums of money the day after the court-ordered bankruptcy was similar to money laundering.
Becker’s attorney Jonathan Laidlaw, however, asked for clemency. The transfers were payments to his ex-wife 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 54-year-old was in a desperate financial situation.
After a guilty verdict in the London trial: Boris Becker’s sentence is announced
Update from Friday, April 29, 12:42 p.m.: Fateful day for a tennis legend: In the criminal trial against Boris Becker, the sentence is eagerly awaited on Friday. The former exceptional athlete could theoretically face up to seven years in prison because he had not disclosed assets worth more than one million euros in his bankruptcy proceedings. Three weeks ago, a jury found Becker guilty on four out of 24 charges.
However, he can still appeal after the verdict – both against the guilty verdict and against the sentence. The 54-year-old had denied the allegations. Even if Boris Becker appeals against a prison sentence, he would probably be in prison after the verdict was announced.
Becker was declared bankrupt in June 2017, and as a result he is said not to have fully complied with his obligation to disclose his financial situation. In 2002, Becker was sentenced to a two-year suspended sentence in Munich for tax evasion.
Trial in London: jury finds Boris Becker guilty
+++ 3.15 p.m.: In the London criminal trial against Boris Becker, the jury found the former German tennis star guilty of several charges. The jury decided on Friday (08.04.2022) that the 54-year-old withheld parts of his assets from his insolvency administrator. Becker could theoretically face a prison sentence. The sentence is to be announced on April 29th. Becker followed the verdict with a red head. He can still appeal the verdict.
Becker was declared bankrupt on June 21, 2017. The jury has now concluded that he failed to disclose all of his possessions on 4 of 24 counts, contrary to legal requirements. The allegations involved bank accounts and real estate, as well as several trophies, including the Wimbledon trophy from Becker’s first win at the all-important Grand Slam tournament in 1985.
Boris Becker: Tennis legend has to continue to tremble in the London criminal case
Update from Friday, April 8, 11:50 a.m.: In the London criminal trial, Boris Becker must continue to tremble before his verdict. The 11 jurors retired for the third straight day at Southwark Crown Court on Friday morning to debate whether to acquit the ex-tennis pro guilty or not.
How long it will be before the jury reaches its verdict is unclear. The consultations behind closed doors began on Wednesday (April 6th, 2022).
Becker has to be ready during the deliberations in the courthouse because the decision can be announced at any time. He appeared in court again on Friday with his girlfriend and son Noah.
Prosecutors believe Becker deliberately withheld the fortune and blamed his advisers, who he says handled all financial matters. Becker’s defense attorney, on the other hand, emphasized that his client was naive and had not taken care of his finances – but that he was innocent. It is not a crime to rely on advisors.
Judgment expected in the trial of Boris Becker: jury retires for consultation
First report from Wednesday, April 6th: London (AP) – In the criminal trial against Boris Becker, the jury withdrew to advise. Judge Deborah Taylor urged the jury at London’s Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday afternoon to consider everything they heard in the trial and come to a common decision. It was initially unclear how long it would take for the jury to reach its verdict on whether or not Becker was guilty of the 24 charges. This can theoretically happen within minutes, but discussions behind closed doors that can last for days are also possible.
The ex-tennis professional is accused of concealing assets in his bankruptcy proceedings. One aspect of the process is the fact that Becker had his finances organized by others, Judge Taylor stated in her summary. In his plea, Becker’s defense attorney emphasized that it was not a crime to rely on advisors. The Londoner by choice firmly rejects the accusation that the prosecution deliberately withheld the assets. In theory, the 54-year-old could face up to seven years in prison.
Trial against Boris Becker: Judgment is approaching
Becker appeared in court again on Wednesday, accompanied by his girlfriend and son Noah. Wearing a pinstripe suit, he followed the proceedings from a glass case inside the courtroom. (red with dpa/AFP)
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