Guy Sebastian’s ex-manager Titus Day to fight embezzlement charges
Titus Day, the former manager of Guy Sebastian, is accused by police of ripping off the singer to the tune of more than $1 million between 2013 and 2020.
Police & Courts
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Titus Day, the former manager of singer Guy Sebastian, will go on trial in May next year to fight allegations he embezzled royalties and performance fees from the Australian Idol winner.
Day, 48, of Bondi, was mentioned in Downing Centre District Court on Friday after being accused by police last year of ripping off Mr Sebastian to the tune of more than $1 million between 2013 and 2020 when he was arrested.
Officers previously alleged in a fact sheet that Day was “calculating” when figuring out which amounts of money to divert and which amounts to actually pass onto The Voice judge when working as his manager.
He was originally charged with more than 60 fraud charges, but they were later withdrawn in court and he was hit with more than 60 embezzlement charges instead. He denies any wrongdoing.
Embezzlement is a form of fraud that occurs when someone who’s entrusted with managing someone else’s money takes that money for their own personal use.
NSW DPP prosecutor Tim George told the court that Day’s indictment, or charge sheet, had yet to be finalised because more bank records and overseas transactions had to be sifted through relating to the case.
Day’s defence lawyer Daniel Wakim said his client wasn’t in a position to formally enter pleas to his embezzlement charges until the indictment was finalised.
Judge Warwick Hunt adjourned the case until June 25 when Day will formally enter his pleas when he’s arraigned and to allow time for the indictment to be settled.
Judge Hunt also set down Day’s trial date for May 2, 2022, with an estimated duration of four weeks despite it being “against the general practice of the court”.
“It’s desirable to have it in the diary now,” the judge said.
Defence barrister Dominic Toomey, SC, will represent Day during the trial.
Day, who is on bail, did not appear in court on Friday.
He stands accused of embezzling about $1.15 million from the star and the amounts allegedly withheld range from $109.48 to $214,565.88.
He effectively managed the income source of Mr Sebastian’s career and the pop star put large amounts of trust into him when working together, police had stated in the court documents.
The police fact sheet previously alleged an overseas company called Premier Muzik made more than 20 payments into a “trust account” for the services of Mr Sebastian between 2015 and this year, but only five of these payments were actually paid through to the singer.
Sebastian, 39, won the first Australia Idol series in 2003 and in 2019 was a coach on singing competition television series The Voice.
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