"Nights Were Atrocious": Emotional Boris Becker Recounts Prison Experience
NDTV
Boris Becker had been declared bankrupt in June 2017, owing creditors £50 million over an unpaid loan of more than GBP 3 million on his estate on the Spanish island of Majorca
Former tennis superstar Boris Becker said he relied on "blood brothers" to protect him in a British prison and said his life was threatened twice in his first interview since being released. The 55-year-old German was deported to Germany after being released last week having served eight months of a two and a half years sentence for flouting insolvency rules by hiding GBP 2.5 million ($3.1 million) of assets and loans to avoid paying debts.
He had been declared bankrupt in June 2017, owing creditors GBP 50 million over an unpaid loan of more than GBP 3 million on his estate on the Spanish island of Majorca. In an often emotional three hour interview with German broadcaster Sat.1 the former tennis world number one said the nights in Wandsworth Prison -- not far from where he won the Wimbledon title three times -- were "atrocious."
He said he was fortunate to have forged close ties with a group of inmates he termed "blood brothers" as two prisoners he called 'John' and 'Ike' on separate occasions had threatened him.
'John', serving 25 years for multiple murders, threatened to harm him if he did not give him money. 'Ike' got him on his own and Becker says 10 prisoners "saved my life" rescuing him when he yelled out.
"And then the next day Ike asked if I would accept his apology," said Becker. "I could have rejected it. I encountered him in the laundry. He threw himself down to the ground and begged me for forgiveness. I raised him to his feet and hugged him.
