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News.com.au
a day ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Guy Sebastian's manager found not guilty of four counts jury returns partial verdict
Guy Sebastian's former manager has been found not guilty of four counts of embezzling money from the former pop star. Titus Emanuel Day stood trial in the NSW District Court where he battled allegations he embezzled more than $600,000 in royalties and performance fees from the Australian Idol winner between 2013 and 2020. Since his arrest more than five years ago, Day has denied the allegations and he pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of embezzlement as a clerk or servant. He also pleaded not guilty to one count of attempting to dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception. On Tuesday, the jury returned verdicts finding Day not guilty of four counts of embezzlement. Those four counts related to allegations that he embezzled over $113,000 worth of Mr Sebastian's performance fees relating to a Big Bash game, a wedding, a corporate gig for Harvey Norman and an ambassadorship with Dreamworld. The jury on Tuesday rejected the Crown prosecution's version of events relating to those counts. They have been told to continue to deliberate on the remaining 31 counts. Mr Day stood trial accused of embezzling over $620,000 in performance fees and royalties by failing to remit the money to Mr Sebastian. Mr Day maintained that some accounting errors were the result of family difficulties at the time which resulted in his attention being elsewhere, and a mistaken belief that some of the money that came into his company's account for Mr Sebastian related to another client. He also held a view that the former Australian Idol winner owed him unpaid commissions, his barrister Thomas Woods told the court during the trial. Mr Woods also told the court that performance fees from the Swift tour were used to purchase shares on Mr Sebastian's behalf. 'It is not implausible that my client made a wrong assumption in relation to these counts in the indictment … That he made a mistake is not fanciful or far fetched,' Mr Woods told the jury. During his closing address to the jury, Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC said Mr Day had fabricated invoices to demand payment from Mr Sebastian. Mr Day denied having fabricated the documents and his barrister Thomas Woods argued the allegation could not be proven and was 'fanciful'. Mr Sebastian first worked with Day while he was with his former talent agency, 22 Management. Mr Sebastian agreed to follow him as a marquee client when Day created his own agency, 6 Degrees Management, in 2009. The court heard that Mr Sebastian was Day's long-time client and friend, however they had a bitter falling out in 2017 after Mr Sebastian raised questions over financial records. Mr Sebastian during his evidence told the court he was happy with Mr Day's management when he first moved into his stable.
News.com.au
04-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Titus Day trial: Guy Sebastian ‘honoured' to support Taylor Swift
Guy Sebastian has revealed how excited he was to support global pop star Taylor Swift on her 2013 tour while taking the stand in the trial of his former manager, who is accused of embezzling $640,000 from Mr Sebastian. Titus Emanuel Day is standing trial for allegedly embezzling $640,000 of Mr Sebastian's royalties and performance fees. This includes the alleged failure to remit $187,000 to Mr Sebastian for performances fees as a support act for Swift on her 2013 Red tour of Australia. It's alleged that Mr Sebastian was also not paid for corporate gigs, performances at the Sydney Opera House, a Big Bash game and Dreamworld and for singing at weddings in Italy and Sydney. Mr Day has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of embezzlement as a clerk or servant and one count of attempting to dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception. He has denied doing anything fraudulent or dishonest. Mr Sebastian told the NSW District Court on Wednesday that he was 'very excited' when Mr Day told him he'd be opening for Swift on her Red tour of Australia in December 2013. 'I was alerted to the fact that I was to be supporting Taylor Swift, which obviously is a big deal – Taylor's a huge artist, and it was a massive get to get that tour,' Mr Sebastian told the court. 'I was really honoured.' Supporting Swift was unlike tours of his own, he said, which at times 'weren't fruitful', as he had to cover all the costs. 'This was an opportunity where it was a guaranteed sum I was being paid,' he explained. Mr Sebastian told the court that he 'wanted to do a really good job' and had even flown in a friend of his to perform alongside him. 'I really made that band as slamming as I possibly could and wanted to do a really good job of this,' he said. Mr Sebastian was going to be paid about $500,000 for the tour but had to pay costs of about $180,000 that included the price of pulling the 'slamming' band together. The court was previously told about $494,000 was paid into an account of Mr Day's 6 Degrees management company by a booking agent following the Swift tour. The Crown alleges Mr Day was entitled to a $59,000 commission, leaving Mr Sebastian the remaining $435,000. However, Mr Day allegedly failed to remit $187,000, with Mr Sebastian only paid about $247,5000. Mr Sebastian told the court on Wednesday that money was supposed to be remitted within a week or two of any performance. 'Within seven or 14 days, but it was clearly indicated to us when the $247,000 was transferred that there was going to be a reconciliation on weeks of the whole tour … we were told that the full reconciliation would be done really soon,' Mr Sebastian told the court. He claimed there were several attempts from his bookkeepers to try to understand the reconciliation for the performances in order to complete a tax return; however, this allegedly was 'never received'. In the years following, Mr Sebastian said he 'assumed it was taken care of'. Mr Day's barrister, Thomas Woods, last week told the court that there would be 'no dispute' that on some occasions his client should have transferred money onto Mr Sebastian 'but did not'. 'For many of the charges, the real question is not going to be whether my client failed to transfer the money to Mr Sebastian but whether his failure to do that was criminal,' Mr Woods said. Mr Sebastian signed with Mr Day at his management company 6 Degrees three years after he won Australian Idol, having previously worked with him at Mr Day's former agency, 22 Management. Despite initially being happy with the arrangement, Mr Sebastian and his team were often chasing statements and clarification on payments before he told Mr Day he was leaving his management in 2017, the court was previously told. Mr Sebastian launched Federal Court proceedings against Mr Day the following year. He in turn filed a counterclaim.
