Three-time Wimbledon champion, Boris Becker has been freed from jail today after serving just eight months of his two-and-a-half-year sentence and will now be deported from the UK.
The 55-year-old tennis star was convicted in April of hiding £2.5million-worth of assets and loans to avoid paying his debts
Becker was expected to serve half of his sentence behind bars but was recently approved for a fast-track scheme in which foreign citizens are deported if certain conditions are met. The Home Office removed 1,136 foreign national offenders under its early removal programme last year.
He is thought to be returning to his hometown of Leimen, where his 87-year-old mother Elvira lives, for an emotional reunion with his loved ones. Once deported, Becker will not be able to apply to enter the UK for 10 years.
Boris’ mother reportedly told a friend: ‘This is the best Christmas present I could hope for – I cannot wait to hold my beloved son in my arms.’
A close friend of Becker’s family also said: ‘Elvira is simply overjoyed he is coming home.
‘For her, having Boris out of prison and back home is the best thing imaginable – and for it to happen in time for Christmas will be great for her.
‘She was worried about when she might see him again, so this is all a huge deal for her – especially given her age.’
The former world number one and BBC commentator was declared bankrupt on June 21, 2017, owing creditors almost £50million over an unpaid loan of more than £3million on his estate in Majorca.
He is thought to have been transferred to a lower security jail, Category C Huntercombe Prison near Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, for foreign criminals awaiting deportation in May.
He was previously being held at Category B Wandsworth Prison in south-west London, according to reports.
The six-time Grand Slam champion qualified for automatic deportation because he is a foreign national who does not have British citizenship and received a custodial sentence of more than 12 months.
Sources in Germany have revealed he has been signed up by a Munich-based TV station for an interview about his dramatic fall from grace.
Boris is still one of Germany’s most famous sportsmen and his first interview is much prized.
The source added: ‘There will be a great amount of interest in his release and the private jet ensures that he is not seen by other media.
‘The TV company will be paying for the jet and is part of their agreement for the interview.’