Becker’s downfall

HAVING worked in the courts, I have a good idea what Boris Becker is feeling about his jail sentence.

The short walk from the dock to the cells will have seemed like a marathon.

Being fingerprinted and handing over his possessions to a court officer for retention until his release from prison would have been humiliating.

With the clanging of the cell door, isolation and loneliness would envelop him. Boarding a custody van for transport to Wandsworth Prison would have been a stark contrast to flying on an executive jet.

Being given an inmate number must have been an abrupt departure from icon to a statistic.

On his release in probably 15 months, his conviction will keep coming back to haunt Mr Becker. The punishment surpassing incarceration is loss of status, reputation and little possibility to acquire lucrative work. The legacy of his sporting achievements have been eclipsed.

DAVID FLEMING, Downham Market, Norfolk.