Andrew Castle says he’s ‘still reeling’ from ‘great mate’ Boris Becker being jailed
‘I’m sad his life has come to this’: Former British No1 Andrew Castle says he’s ‘still reeling’ from ‘great mate’ Boris Becker being jailed for 2½ years for fraud
Boris Becker was today jailed for 30 months for flouting terms of his bankruptcyThe 54-year-old owed creditors almost £50million over unpaid loan of £3millionHe was found to have transferred around £390,000 from his business accountAndrew Castle today said he was shocked and described Becker as a ‘great mate’
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Former British number one tennis player Andrew Castle said he is ‘still reeling’ after his ‘great mate’ Boris Becker was jailed for two and a half years for fraud.
Three-time Wimbledon champion Becker was today jailed for flouting the terms of his bankruptcy by hiding £2.5million worth of assets and loans to avoid paying his debts.
Afterwards, Mr Castle, speaking during his slot on LBC radio, said he was shocked by the news and described Becker as a ‘great mate of mine’.
Mr Castle, who has worked alongside Becker as commentators for the BBC, said: ‘I’ve sat alongside him, I’ve played with him, I’ve practised with him, I’ve been out with him, I’ve been drunk with him, he’s a good man – he’s going to prison for two and a half years.
‘And I’m, look, I’m shocked because it’s close to me. I’m sad that his life has come to this and I hope he’s able to rebuild on the other side.’
Boris Becker arrives with partner Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro for his sentencing at Southwark Crown Court in London today
Former British number one Andrew Castle, speaking during his slot on LBC radio today, said he was shocked by Becker being jailed and described him as a ‘great mate of mine’
Becker, 54, was declared bankrupt in June 2017, owing creditors almost £50million over an unpaid loan of more than £3million on his estate in Mallorca, Spain. The BBC pundit transferred around £390,000 from his business account to others, including those of his ex-wife Barbara Becker and estranged wife Sharlely ‘Lilly’ Becker.
He also failed to declare his share in a £1million property in his home town of Leimen, Germany, hid a bank loan of almost £700,000 – worth £1.1million with interest – and concealed 75,000 shares in a tech firm, valued at £66,000.
Becker – who got a two-year suspended sentence for tax evasion and attempted tax evasion worth £1.4million in Germany in 2002 – was found guilty on April 8 of four Insolvency Act offences between June and October 2017.
Mr Castle added: ‘If you don’t pay your creditors, you pay the price.
‘It’s the second time this had happened after what happened in Germany back in 2002. I thought this was a possibility, but I’m surprised and deeply shocked that I won’t be working with him at Wimbledon this year and that he’s going to go to prison.’
This afternoon, Judge Deborah Taylor sentenced the six-time Grand Slam champion to 30 months’ imprisonment, of which he will serve at least half.
Referring to Becker’s previous conviction, the judge said this afternoon: ‘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.’
And she told father-of-four 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.
A court artist’s sketch of Becker awaiting his sentencing (left) and being sentenced (right) at Southwark Crown Court today
Boris Becker arrives with partner Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro for his sentencing at Southwark Crown Court in London today
Becker became the youngest player ever to win Wimbledon, aged just 17 (left) in 1985, and went on to win two more Wimbledon titles
‘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.’
As he was led away, Becker was red-faced and appeared to struggle with his overnight bag.
His girlfriend Lilian De Carvalho Monteiro blew him a kiss before he disappeared out of the court to the cells below.
The six-time Grand Slam winner now faces losing lucrative contracts with TV networks around the world, including his job as a BBC pundit at Wimbledon.
