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UK court told Becker 'deliberately withholding' trophies
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UK court told Becker 'deliberately withholding' trophies
Former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker is deliberately withholding the trophies from his glittering tennis career, a London court was told on Tuesday.
Becker is on trial charged with 24 offences relating to his 2017 bankruptcy over a £3.5 million ($4.6 million) loan from private bank Arbuthnot Latham for a property in Spain.
The 54-year-old German is accused of failing to hand over nine prizes, including two of his three Wimbledon singles titles, his Australian Open silverware and his 1992 Olympic gold medal.
"Mr Becker has maintained throughout he does not know where these items are," prosecutor Rebecca Chalkley told a jury at a court in south London.
"It is the prosecution case that this is fanciful and, in fact, he is deliberately withholding them."
Becker, a six-time Grand Slam champion, told trustees tasked with securing his assets that one of his Wimbledon titles was in the Tennis Hall of Fame, another was with the German tennis federation, while the third was given to his mother.
He claimed the missing trophies are "not of significant value" or "great interest" to him and that "items were in various locations around the world", the jury was told.
"Bearing in mind what they represent in terms of achievement and sacrifice for Mr Becker over the years, that they were not of great interest, regardless of their monetary value, lacks credibility," Chalkley said.
"These trophies are some of the most significant in Mr Becker's career and arguably reflect the awards that made him the tennis star he is today.
"Therefore, it is not credible to say he did not know where they were."
Southwark Crown Court was also told Becker spent hundreds of pounds (euros, dollars) at luxury London department store Harrods and treated himself to designer clothes.
Becker is alleged to have hidden 1.13 million euros ($1.25 million) from the sale of a Mercedes car dealership he owned in Germany, which was paid into his Boris Becker Private Office (BBPOL) account.
"It is the prosecution case that Mr Becker used the BBPOL sterling account as an extension of his own account, effectively as his own piggy bank, for everyday personal expenses such as school fees for the children and suchlike," Chalkley said.
Chalkley said payments in 2017 included £643 to Polo Ralph Lauren, £7,600 for school fees and £976 to Harrods.
Jurors heard Becker paid substantial sums to ex-wife Barbara Becker, estranged wife Sharlely "Lilly" Becker and a friend.
Becker was also said to have transferred 300,000 euros to his own account, while other funds went into an account he jointly held with his son Noah.
He allegedly failed to declare two German properties, as well as his interest in a London flat, and hid an 825,000-euro bank loan.
Becker, who won 49 singles titles during his 16-year playing career, denies all the charges against him.
A.Imbrogno--INP
