Guy Sebastian called back to witness box in ex-manager’s trial after wedding messages were sent to superfan
Guy Sebastian has made a surprise return to the witness box after it was revealed he texted a superfan about flights to a lavish wedding.
Police & Courts
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A series of messages about a lavish wedding in Venice have landed Guy Sebastian back in court.
The singer stepped back into the witness box on Monday to give more evidence in the trial of his former manager Titus Day, who has been accused of fraudulently embezzling about $900,000 allegedly owed to Mr Sebastian.
Christian Bugno, a superfan who had Mr Sebastian perform at his wedding in Venice in 2016, previously told the NSW District Court that he received multiple text messages from the former Australian Idol winner on May 23.
In the messages, which were sent in between periods in which Mr Sebastian was subject to cross-examination, Mr Bugno said his father paid to fly Mr Day and Mr Sebastian to the wedding.
The ceremony is one of multiple events that Mr Sebastian was paid to perform at and Mr Day was entitled to 20 per cent commission on; however, it’s alleged Mr Day kept more money than he was entitled to.
Mr Day’s barrister Dominic Toomey SC told the court that Mr Sebastian was given an exemption to speak to the Crown prosecutor’s team after he was cross-examined on May 23, but no mention was made of Mr Bugno and a general direction was given not to discuss evidence in the trial with anyone else.
Mr Sebastian said “no one told me I couldn’t” when asked if he was told he could contact Mr Bugno.
“I wasn’t told anything like that … if I can provide information I’m going to do it, especially if I know it’s wrong,” Mr Sebastian said.
“The whole purpose was to gather evidence that related to the cross-examination.”
When Mr Toomey asked if Mr Sebastian thought that it was his job to gather evidence in criminal proceedings, Mr Sebastian said “well, I’m the one with the contact”.
“I said I’ll text who did the travel,” Mr Sebastian said.
“Because we’re in court, I actually need to get evidence and not just say ‘oh I remember’.
“I remember clearly Mr Day saying ‘our flights are paid let’s do a trip over there’ … everything I was doing I was doing by the book.”
More to come
Originally published as Guy Sebastian called back to witness box in ex-manager’s trial after wedding messages were sent to superfan
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