Boris Beckers (54) Hardest day: Today, a court in London decides whether he should go to jail for delaying bankruptcy. One thing is clear: He is already known guilty of four out of 24 charges. Now it’s about the punishment. The announcement is expected at noon.
Should Judge Deborah Taylor actually sentence the tennis legend to prison, Becker could be jailed in Wandsworth, known for the harshness of his guards.
Many people have already become acquainted with the unpleasant abode: Wikileaks founder Julian Assage, rock star Pete Doherty, British journalist and ex-energy minister Chris Huhne and 70s music star Gary Glitter, who was convicted of child abuse in 2015.
But other celebrities from the sports world have also had to go behind bars:
Ulrich “Uli” Hoeneß, today honorary president of, among others, FC Bayern Munich, resigned in 2013Photo: Getty Images
A big name in German football, whether it is as a player, manager or president of FC Bayern Munich. But in 2014, Uli Hoeneß was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for tax evasion of 28.5 million euros. From June 2014 to February 2016, Hoeneß was actually in jail, the rest of the sentence was suspended.
► Felix Storm
Felix Sturm has been one of the most famous boxers in Germany in recent years. He was also charged with tax evasion. In a first verdict in 2020, the successful athlete was sentenced to three years in prison, which was later reduced to two years and four months.
Graciano Rocchigiani on 27 May 1996 in Dortmund in his first World Cup match against Henry MaskePhoto: picture alliance / dpa
In the 80s and 90s he was one of the most successful German boxers: Graciano Rocchigiani. On the positive side is a world title, on the negative side is alcohol, fights and traffic offenses. In 2002, “Rocky” was jailed for nearly a year after violating a parole. In 2007, he was sentenced to twelve months in prison for, among other things, violence, which he was not to serve in full. He died in a car accident in eastern Sicily in 2018 at the age of 54.
Bubi Scholz (back) in 1974 with Burkhard Driest (left) and Romy Schneider in a legendary talk show hosted by Dietmar Schönherr (right). Photo: picture alliance / dpa
Another sports legend got it in 1984. Gustav “Bubi” Scholz, a boxing idol from the post-war era, shot his wife in 1984 while intoxicated. The circumstances were never fully clarified. Because the court did not proceed with an intent to kill, the former European and German champion was only sentenced to three years in prison.
Soccer star OJ Simpson with his wife Nicole Simpson, whom he and her boyfriend allegedly stabbed to deathPhoto: WireImage / Getty Images
A lengthy lawsuit against ex-football star OJ Simpson attracted international attention. He was acquitted of stabbing his ex-wife and her boyfriend. However, a civil court later ruled that he should pay the survivors $ 33.5 million in compensation. And in 2008, Simpson was sentenced to 33 years in prison. This time, however, because he had armed and attacked two dealers of sports souvenirs at a hotel casino in Las Vegas. In October 2017, he was released early on parole.
Mike Tyson, infamous boxing legendPhoto: Stephen Flood / AP
Boxing legend Mike Tyson was sentenced to six years in prison. He was convicted of raping Miss Black America contestant Desiree Washington in 1992. Three years was suspended. In 1999, he drove in again. He attacked a person involved in the accident. Of the one-year prison sentence, he only had to serve four months behind bars, the rest he served under house arrest. He still has not learned from it. It was recently reported that he punched a man in the face several times on a plane.
► Oscar Pistorius
Even this exceptional athlete apparently did not get a handle on his privacy. In 2013, the lower-knee sprinter from South Africa shot his then-girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through the closed toilet door. Oscar Pistorius always claimed he was acting in panic because he suspected a burglar in his house.
Oscar Pistorius (here in court in 2014) has always claimed he shot because he suspected a burglar in his housePhoto: dpa
The multiple Paralympics winner initially got away with it, was sentenced to five years in prison for negligent manslaughter and even released on house arrest a year later. But an appeals court came to another verdict in December 2015: murder! In 2017, the sentence was even sharpened from the original six years to 13 years and five months in prison. Pistorius’ appeal to the South African Constitutional Court was rejected.
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Foto: Getty Images
Foto: picture-alliance / dpa
Foto: picture-alliance / dpa
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Foto: Stephen Flood/AP
Foto: dpa