French football legend and former Manchester United defender, Patrice Evra, has been handed a 12-month suspended prison sentence for abandoning his wife and two children. The ruling was confirmed by the Nanterre prosecutor’s office and reported by French newspaper, Le Parisien.
The court found Evra guilty of neglecting his family between May 1, 2021, and September 28, 2023. The 43-year-old is also accused of owing his estranged wife, Sandra Evra, approximately NGN 616,640,000 (equivalent to €969,000) in unpaid alimony.
While the prison sentence has been suspended for two years, Evra has been ordered to pay Sandra NGN 267,000 (equivalent to €4,000) for emotional distress and NGN 133,500 (equivalent to €2,000) in legal fees.
Evra’s lawyer, Jerome Boursica, has indicated that the former French international will appeal the decision, claiming that Evra provided Sandra with an apartment, a house with a swimming pool, and a loan of nearly NGN 1.3 billion (equivalent to €2 million) for her living expenses. Boursica alleges that Sandra has refused to return the loan, which is the primary reason for the legal dispute.
Patrice and Sandra Evra were married from 2007 to 2020 and have a son and a daughter together. Their divorce proceedings became public when photos emerged of Evra kissing Danish model Margaux Alexandra, who is now his fiancée and mother of his two other children.
