BREAKING: Boris Becker jailed for two and a half years following bankruptcy scam

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By VT

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Boris Becker has been jailed for two and a half years for flouting the terms of his 2017 bankruptcy, BBC News reports.

The former Wimbledon champion, 54, was accused of hiding an equivalent of about $3 million worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts.

The German-born tennis megastar had denied breaking UK insolvency laws when he was declared bankrupt back in 2017, as he owed creditors around $60 million.

The six-time Grand Slam champion, who has lived in the UK since 2012, was convicted on four charges by a jury under the Insolvency Act. He was cleared on 20 counts.

He had sent nearly £390,000 ($490,000) in payments from his business account to others.

The case stemmed from Becker's bankruptcy in June 2017 which resulted from an unpaid loan of more than £3 million ($3.8 million) on his luxury estate in Mallorca, Spain.

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Credit: REUTERS / Alamy

Earlier this month, after about a fortnight of considering evidence, the jury found Becker guilty of removal of property, two counts of failing to disclose estate and concealing debt.

The jurors acquitted him on an additional 20 charges, including nine counts of failing to hand over his tennis trophies and medals, including two from Wimbledon.

Becker had previously said he was "shocked" and "embarrassed" when he was declared bankrupt on June 21, 2017.

Becker was supported in the trial by his partner Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro and eldest son Noah.

Jurors heard how the former men's world number one received €1.13 million from the sale of a Mercedes car dealership that he owned in Germany. This was paid into a business account which he'd used as a "piggy bank" for his personal expenses.

Becker was convicted for transferring €427,000 to nine recipients, including accounts of belonging to his ex-wife Barbara and estranged wife Sharlely "Lilly" Becker, the mother of his fourth child.

He was further also found guilty of failing to declare a property in his home town of Leimen, hiding an €825,000 bank loan on the house as well as 75,000 shares in tech firm Breaking Data Corp.

As reported by the Daily Mail, Becker could have been jailed for a maximum term of seven years.

This is a developing story, more to follow...

Featured image credit: Imageplotter / Alamy