Celebrity agent Titus Day loses fight to be allowed to travel for UFC fight
Celebrity manager Titus Day has been barred from flying overseas to a major sporting event tomorrow night for a second time after he was accused of defrauding Guy Sebastian of more than $1 million.
Confidential
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Celebrity manager Titus Day has been barred from flying overseas to a major sporting event tomorrow night for a second time after he was accused of defrauding Guy Sebastian of more than $1 million.
Mr Day took his case to the NSW Supreme Court on Monday in a dramatic last-minute challenge after he failed to have his bail conditions varied in the Local Court last Friday so he could fly to Abu Dhabi to support his client and UFC star Robert Whittaker during a fight.
The court was told Mr Day was banned from international travel when he was granted bail on July 2 after being charged with 61 fraud offences alleged to have occurred between 2013 and 2020 against Mr Sebastian.
Defence barrister Slade Howell pushed hard for Mr Day to be able to fly out to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday night, arguing Mr Day needed to be at what the UFC has dubbed “fight island” to provide logistic and business negotiation support to Mr Whittaker ahead of his fight with Englishman Darren Till on July 25.
The court heard Mr Whittaker, who is ranked number one in the UFC middleweight division, was travelling with two coaches and a training partner but wanted Mr Day to be there or else his “state of mind” and his ability “to perform at his peak” would be affected.
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Mr Howell also said Mr Day’s wife was willing to surrender her passport and they were willing to stump up a surety of more $110,000.
But Crown prosecutor Anthony Brookman urged Justice Peter Johnson to stop Mr Day from getting on the flight, saying he presented a flight risk and may not return to Australia.
“Why is it so important … for (Mr Day) himself to be there? He’s not a combat manager, he’s not a trainer, it’s a very restrictive, restricted and truncated operation that’s going on in Abu Dhabi,” Mr Brookman told the court.
In an affidavit tendered to the court, Mr Whittaker said Mr Day “has always been and remains an integral member of my team”.
“My last two UFC events led me to requiring emergency medical treatment which created an on-ground media and PR crisis and without the … leadership from Titus I would not have come out of the experience in a positive state,” the champion fighter said.
“Titus’ ability and skills when it comes to managing these on-ground matters are essential to the success of my time at these events.
“There is absolutely no one else who can fill these managerial roles at this event and the absence of Titus will impact my state of mind and ability to perform at my peak.”
Justice Johnson ruled against Mr Day and refused to change his bail conditions to allow him to fly out on Tuesday night, saying the bulk of his managerial duties could be done on the phone or on the internet.
The judge said the prosecution also opposed Mr Day leaving because there was a chance Mr Day could not return to Australia due to unforeseen COVID-19 restrictions in the future.
“There will be very few people at this event in person, the evidence indicates it will be a tightly controlled event,” Justice Johnson said.
“This will not be an event that will attract celebrities or others one would be able to mix or (negotiate with) … people going to this event would be a very select group of people.”
Day is due in court over the fraud matters at Downing Centre Local Court on July 21.