Boris Becker offered up his wedding ring in bid to overturn bankruptcy, court hears

Tennis legend Boris Becker offered his wedding ring to an insolvency official in an effort to overturn his bankruptcy, a court heard.

The six-time Grand Slam champion, 54, also wanted to sell his £8.3m estate in in Majorca, Spain, to pay off his debts, the jury was told.

The former world number one is on trial in London accused of hiding or failing to hand over assets.

Nine trophies and medals, including two of his three Wimbledon men’s singles trophies and his 1992 Olympic gold medal are among the valuables he is alleged to have concealed.

The German, a six-time Grand Slam winner, denies 24 offences under the Insolvency Act.

Becker owed private bank Arbuthnot Latham more than £3m for a loan on a Balearic Islands property known as the Finca when he was declared bankrupt in June 2017.

The 54-year-old “was being cooperative” when he met Michael Bint, a deputy official receiver at the Insolvency Service, at his home in Wimbledon a few weeks later, Southwark Crown Court heard on Wednesday

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Mr Bint, questioned by Becker’s barrister, Jonathan Laidlaw QC, admitted their hour-long conversation was conducted in rushed circumstances because the tennis great was working for the BBC at the Wimbledon tournament.

Mr Laidlaw said: “He offered to let you walk around the house in Wimbledon to see what was there, he volunteered an expensive wedding ring to you.

“His overriding concern was to seek an annulment of the bankruptcy, to pay the debt, by the sale of the Finca to Arbuthnot Latham.”

The court heard Becker was interrupted some 20 times by his adviser, who spoke of “work in progress” or “investigations being in hand” on at least 14 occasions.

Mr Bint has admitted he failed to get Becker to sign a preliminary information questionnaire (PIQB) document – the only time he has done so in hundreds of cases since 2007.

“Mr Becker had to simply run away to go to Wimbledon,” he said. “Normally I would ask for a signed copy.”

As well as failing to offer up memorabilia, including his 1991 and 1996 Australian Open trophies and his Davis Cup trophy and gold coin, he also allegedly hid €1.13 million (about £940,000) from the sale of a Mercedes car dealership he owned in Germany.

Becker had a ‘piggy bank’ for Harrods shopping

He allegedly placed those funds in a business account, which he used as a “piggy bank” to cover personal expenses, such as his children’s school fees and shopping from Harrods, Ralph Lauren and Ocado.

Becker is also said to have transferred hundreds of thousands of pounds to other accounts, including those of his ex-wife Barbara Becker and estranged wife Sharlely “Lilly” Becker.

He also allegedly failed to declare two German properties, as well as his interest in a £2.25m flat in Chelsea, west London, occupied by his daughter Anna Ermakova, and hid an €825,000 euro (almost £700,000) bank loan.

Jurors have heard he has a previous conviction for tax evasion and attempted tax evasion in Germany.

The trial continues.

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