Guy Sebastian’s former manager Titus Day jailed over $600k embezzlement

The long-running high-profile legal saga of Guy Sebastian’s former manager has finally come to an end after Titus Day was on Thursday jailed.

Guy Sebastian’s former manager has been jailed for embezzling more than $620,000 of the pop singer’s earnings.

Titus Day was on Thursday led away in handcuffs and hugged by supporters after he learned he would spend at least two-and-a-half years in jail.

The 49-year-old was sentenced for swindling the whopping amount from the pop star and inaugural winner of Australian Idol after being found guilty on multiple charges by a NSW District Court jury earlier this year.

He was sentenced by District Court Judge Tim Gartelmann to four years in jail with a two-year, six-month non-parole period.

He was also ordered to pay more than $620,000 in restitution to Mr Sebastian.

He will first be eligible for release in May 2025 but has already indicated he intends to appeal the finding.

“All (the offences) were committed for financial gain,” Judge Gartelmann said.

Titus Day enters court before he is jailed. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift.

“Though this is inherent in offences of this kind.

“The offender used the money for other than Mr Sebastian’s benefit.”

Day was hugged by members of a large group of supporters who filled courtroom 3.1 of Sydney’s Downing Centre.

“Stay strong mate, stay strong,” he was told by one supporter before he was placed in handcuffs by Correctives Services officers and led away.

Day was accused of embezzling nearly $900,000 allegedly owed to the singer in the form of music royalties, performance and ambassador payments, but vehemently denied the allegations.

On June 30, the jury found Day guilty and convicted him on 34 of 47 charges.

He was found not guilty of a further 13 charges.

The court heard he embezzled money from performances, including a tour with Taylor Swift and an ambassadorship with Dreamworld.

Australian musician Guy Sebastian gave evidence during the trial. Picture NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Defence barrister Dominic Toomey SC previously told the court a “large number of client testimonials” were “replete with representations as to the offender’s good relationship with his clients”.

One of the testimonials was from high-profile Australian singer Tina Arena.

Judge Gartlemann said Day had been consistently described as “generous” and “trustworthy” by his supporters, and noted he was unlikely to offend again.

He also noted he cared for his elderly mother with dementia.

During a sentence hearing earlier this year, the court was told Day was already planning to appeal the decision of the jury on “a number of bases”, one of which was “serious prosecutorial misconduct”.

The jury heard a mountain of evidence from witnesses, including Sebastian, his wife Jules, bookkeepers and the police officer in charge of the investigation.

Day was Mr Sebastian’s manager in 2009 but the pair had a bitter falling out in 2017.

Titus Day and Guy Sebastian.

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

Day responded with a counterclaim, alleging it was he who was owed money by Sebastian – a claim the reality TV show judge denied.

Both men continued to argue the other owed them money throughout the heated trial in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court.

The jury found Day had used some of the money owed to 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 was told Day sat on the board of the company at the time.

Day was acquitted of embezzling $39,000 from a British and Irish Lions rugby tour performance, and other sums of money ranging from $6000 to $39,000 and $125,000.

“There is no evidence of remorse as the offender maintains his innocence,” Judge Gartelmann said.