The Snitch: Titus Day’s second fraud trial to start days before Guy Sebastian’s UK show

A former agent to the stars is set to face a retrial on fraud charges this year – but the (pop)star witness is playing a show overseas days after its start date. Read about it in The Snitch.

Former agent to the stars Titus Day is set to face a second trial on charges of defrauding his then-client Guy Sebastian – but Snitch wonders if the pop sensation is facing a calendar clash.

Day was acquitted on appeal and ordered to face another trial after a District Court jury found him guilty of 34 fraud charges, including allegations he misappropriated more than $620,000 from Mr Sebastian.

The second trial is set to kick off on May 26, but in November Mr Sebastian announced he was on the line-up for Robbie Williams’ Come Together Festival in Newcastle — the English one — on June 4.

“It looks like it’ll be the biggest-ever festival in the region,” Mr Sebastian wrote.

Given Mr Sebastian will be required to give evidence once more and the first gruelling trial ran for almost two months, Snitch can’t help but think the timing is a bit tight.

Titus Day. Picture: Nikki Short

Guy Sebastian. Picture: Tim Hunter

Earlier this week we reported the state was ordered to pay back $960,000 in costs to Day after his acquittal and subsequent appeal, which is understood to have cost him approximately $1m.

Day, who spent seven months behind bars before he was granted bail after his successful appeal, continues to deny the fraud allegations, for which he was sentenced to a minimum of two years’ imprisonment.

POLICE SUPERINTENDENT’S SON DENIES ASSAULT

The son of a NSW Police commander who is charged alongside his father with assaulting a teen prankster at their home has denied the allegation.

Kings Cross Police Area Commander Jonathan Beard and his son Oscar were both charged over a bizarre incident in which they allegedly assaulted a teen who did a knock and run at their home.

Oscar Beard. Picture: LinkedIn

Oscar, who appeared in court for the first time on Thursday, pleaded not guilty to one count of assault causing actual bodily harm over the incident in September last year.

The elder Beard – who is currently suspended from work with pay – had previously pleaded not guilty to three counts of assault causing actual bodily harm.

Detective Superintendent Jon Beard.

A police fact sheet regarding a young man who admitted trespassing at the Beards’ home during the incident alleges the elder Beard repeatedly punched a teen in the head and face, while Oscar allegedly held the trespasser.

Both father and son’s matters will be mentioned at Downing Centre Local Court on February 27, where a hearing date will be set.

Snitch was once again bemused by the peculiar orders sought by the NSW Police Commissioner in court, which forbid any access to the court files for either Beard unless the Commissioner is notified and given an opportunity to respond.

LEGLESS?

Over the years, Snitch has heard many bizarre explanations for why criminals do the odd things they do.

Some memorable examples include a man caught driving with amphetamines in his blood, who insisted he had not taken any – but had recently been passionately kissing a woman who might have.

Another was the man who bought cocaine because he was “stressed during lockdown, and wasn’t allowed to play soccer”, or the lawyer whose client only headbutted a security guard because the guard had his head in “such close proximity” to his client.

But Snitch has never heard anything quite like this submission on a bail application this week, which left a magistrate baffled and several court staffers in hysterics.

The court heard bail should be granted because of the defendant’s “selective paraplegia”.

Unless this is a rather academic euphemism for being “legless”, Snitch is at a loss with this one.

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