Australian music legend Tina Arena backs disgraced manager Titus Day with written court testimonial

International pop star Tina Arena has told a court in written testimony she signed on with Titus Day after he was charged with embezzling money from Australian Idol Guy Sebastian.

Australian music legend Tina Arena has given disgraced ex-entertainment manager Titus Day a “glowing” testimonial ahead of his sentencing on embezzlement charges, revealing she signed on as his client after he had been charged with defrauding pop star Guy Sebastian of more than $620,000.

Ms Arena described Day as a man of “unquestionably good character” in a written statement tendered to the NSW District Court in support of Day, who is staring down the barrel of a jail sentence after being found guilty of 34 of 47 charges following a gruelling seven-week jury trial earlier this year.

Jurors found the manager had embezzled more than $620,000 of Mr Sebastian’s earnings, after hearing a mountain of evidence from witnesses, including Sebastian himself, his wife Jules, bookkeepers and the police officer in charge of the investigation.

Titus Day and Guy Sebastian in happier times. Picture supplied

In court on Friday, defence barrister Dominic Toomey, SC, argued Day’s case was atypical of traditional embezzlement cases and his client should be spared a full-time jail sentence.

“In our submission this case is a long way in many respects from the typical case of embezzlement where money is simply retained and applied direct to the benefit of the offender, often on lavish lifestyle choices,” he said.

He pointed to what he described as “glowing” references from multiple people “of high standing in the community” who had attested to Day’s good character.

Among those he singled out was a reference from Ms Arena.

Tina Arena revealed in a written statement to the court she signed on to be represented by Titus Day after he had been charged with embezzling money from Guy Sebastian. Picture: Bernard Gueit.

“This one speaks volumes for the simple reason that Ms Arena did not come to retain the services of Mr Day until after he had been accused of the offence which were the subject of this trial,” Mr Toomey said.

“She approached Mr Day shortly after he had been charged with the offences. She signed a management agreement with him despite this and because of his impeccable reputation of honesty, integrity and his prolonged high level of success in business.

“She goes on to say, keeping in mind in course that Mr Day has now managed Ms Arena’s talent affairs for in excess of two years, that she trusts him implicitly and judges him to be a person of unquestionably good character.”

The court heard Home and Away actor and musician Axel Whitehead had also prepared a letter of support for Day, however the document was ultimately not tendered in the proceedings.

Meanwhile, Mr Sebastian prepared a victim impact statement which was also tendered but not read aloud.

The court previously heard Day became Sebastian’s manager in 2009 when he started his own talent management business 6 Degrees. The court was told during the trial that the two were close friends but parted ways after a bitter falling out in 2017.

Titus Day arriving at court in Sydney earlier this year. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Following the separation, Mr Sebastian claimed he found anomalies in his financial records. He launched legal action against his former manager to recoup the money he was owed.

The court was told Day used some of the money owed to Mr Sebastian – including about $187,000 from a Taylor Swift support act gig – to purchase shares on his behalf in a company called My Medical Records. The court heard Day sat on the board of the company at the time.

In his summation of the facts of the case, Judge Tim Gartelmann told the jurors a guilty verdict was only possible if the Crown had proven Mr Sebastian’s estranged ex-manager deliberately withheld money owed to the musician.

The sentencing hearing continues.