Indy100 Staff
May 02, 2022
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Andy Murray had an ice-cold response when asked about Boris Becker’s prison sentence for fraud.
Becker was sentenced to more than two years behind bars at Southwark Crown Court on Friday after being convicted for four offenses under the Insolvency Act.
He is set to spend half of his sentence in prison and the rest on license.
But while some tennis stars such as Novak Djokovic said he was “heartbroken” by the news, the taciturn Scot had a far less passionate response.
Murray said: “I didn't really feel particularly emotional about it. He broke the law and if you do that, I don't think you should get special treatment because of who you are or what you've achieved.
“Again, I feel sorry that he's in that situation, but I also feel sorry for the people that he's affected with his decisions as well and what's happened to them. I hope he's okay and that he learns from his mistakes. But I didn't have a particular emotion about it.”
It's not the first time Andy Murray has shown his sassy side - he savagely (and hilariously) ripped into Nigel Farage earlier this year, to much amusement.
He's also got a pretty sharp way of cutting to the chase on hot topics - calling out some everyday sexism at the Wimbledon tournament back in 2017.
To be fair, Djokovic was coached by Becker between 2014 and 2016, when he had a great career run, so he’s understandably closer to the shamed legend.
Djokovic said: “I am just heartbroken for him. He's a friend, long-time friend, a coach for three, four years, someone I consider close in my life and has contributed a lot to my success in my career.
“I was just heartbroken. I don't know what to say more than that. I'm not going to get into details of the verdict, because I'm not in a position to do that, but as his friend, I'm super sad for him. It's not much that you can say.”
“I just hope he will go through this period that he has to be in jail and that when he comes out he's, you know, being able to live his life as, I don't know if we'll use the word 'normal', because the life is definitely changing, I mean, for anybody going to prison, especially for that long of a time.
“So I don't know how things will turn out for him. I just pray for him. I hope things will be well in terms of his health, his mental health, because that's going to be the most challenging part.”
Becker will serve his sentence at HMP Wandsworth, where an ex-governor said the German would make a good gym instructor if he decides to take on a working role while in jail.
Jerry Petherick told The Sun: “Gyms are very popular in prisons – it’s a job a lot of prisoners want.”
But he added that officers “would not want to show any signs of favouritism”.
First, he’d have to serve six weeks and demonstrate good behavior before being allowed to work in prison.
Becker is also unlikely to step into such a role any time soon as inmates are typically required to have served at least six weeks, demonstrating good behaviour, before being considered for a worker role.
New inmates taken into Wandsworth prison are required to stay in the jail’s ‘induction wing’ for seven to 10 days upon arrival due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions and it is understood Becker has not yet been seen by other inmates.
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