Former Manchester United star Patrice Evra handed suspended 12-month prison sentence for family abandonment

Former Manchester United star Patrice Evra has been handed a suspended 12-month prison sentence after being found guilty of abandoning his family for over two years.

The sentence was issued following allegations that Evra left his ex-wife, Sandra Evra, and their two children without support between May 1, 2021, and September 28, 2023.

According to reports from Le Parisien, Evra owes €969,000 (₦1.69 billion) in unpaid alimony. The Nanterre prosecutor’s office accused him of failing to provide financial support to his family during this period.

The 12-month sentence is suspended for two years, and Evra has also been ordered to pay Sandra €4,000 (£3,358) for moral damages and €2,000 (£1,679) for legal costs. Despite the ruling, Evra has launched an appeal. His lawyer, Jerome Boursican, stated that “the facts are disputed” by his client.

Boursican insisted that Evra had provided substantial support to his wife, including an apartment, a house with a swimming pool in the south of France, and nearly two million euros for her daily expenses. According to Boursican, Sandra Evra refused to return this sum, leading to the trial. Evra’s representatives have not yet commented on the matter.

Sandra and Evra married in 2007 and share two children, Lenny and Maona. Divorce proceedings were initiated by Evra in 2020 but remain incomplete. Their marital issues became public in July 2020 when photos of Evra kissing Danish model Margaux Alexandra were published. Evra and Alexandra, who are now engaged, have two children together.

Acting on behalf of Sandra, lawyer Nathalie Dubois expressed hope that the court’s decision would remind Patrice Evra that he is not above the law and cannot abandon his wife and children without consequences. Sandra supported Evra throughout his football career, following him worldwide. She expressed her heartbreak over their separation, revealing the emotional toll it took on her.

The couple’s estrangement began when Evra traveled to their second home in Battersea, London, in January 2020 for a “15-day work trip” and officially filed for divorce on March 4, leaving Sandra stunned. Evra allegedly used his solicitor to inform Sandra of his desire for a divorce.