Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has been sentenced to 12 months in prison with suspended probation. As per Center Goals, the 43-year-old was found guilty of abandoning his family and owing alimony close to £1 million.
According to reports, the ex-France international abandoned his ex-wife Sandra Evra and two kids between May 2021 and September 2023. Evra has been ordered by the court to pay his wife €6,000 for moral damages and legal costs.
Speaking on the ruling, counsel to Evra's ex-wife, Nathalie Dubois, was satisfied with the outcome, citing that Sandra was a backbone for the ex-international during his playing days. She said (as per The Sun):
"I hope that, thanks to this decision, Patrice Evra will finally understand that he is not above the law and that we cannot abandon our wife and children overnight. Even more so when they met at the age of 15 and she followed him all over the world to support his football career."
However, Jerome Boursican, Evra's lawyer revealed that his client disputes the facts and has appealed the ruling:
"Mr. Patrice Evra appealed, knowing that he provided his wife with an apartment, a house with a swimming pool in the south of France and that he lent her almost two million euros for her daily life. A sum that she refuses to return, and this is the reason for this trial."
As per The Sun, the couple met as teenagers in school. They tied the knot in 2007 but separated after the former football star initiated divorce proceedings in 2020.
Patrice Evra's current relationship status
As per Metro, Patrice Evra is engaged to Danish model Margaux Alexandra. The pair was first seen together five months after his separation from his ex-wife, Sandra Evra, in 2020.
The former Manchester United star and his current partner have two kids together. In 2021, Evra spoke highly of Alexandra, referring to her as his 'rock' and 'universe'.
"I can’t describe how proud I am of Margaux. You were powerful not because you weren’t scared but because you went on so strongly despite your fear. You’re my rock, my universe."
Evra was regarded as one of the best left-backs during his active days. He played for top clubs like Manchester United, Juventus, AS Monaco, Olympique Marseille and West Ham United.