Guy Sebastian’s former supervisor has been jailed for embezzling greater than $620,000 of the pop singer’s earnings.
Titus Day was on Thursday led away in handcuffs and hugged by supporters after he discovered he would spend at the least two-and-a-half years in jail.
The 49-year-old was sentenced for swindling the whopping quantity from the pop star and inaugural winner of Australian Idol after being discovered responsible on a number of expenses by a NSW District Court jury earlier this 12 months.
He was sentenced by District Court Judge Tim Gartelmann to 4 years in jail with a two-year, six-month non-parole interval.
He was additionally ordered to pay greater than $620,000 in restitution to Mr Sebastian.
He will first be eligible for launch in May 2025 however has already indicated he intends to attraction the discovering.
“All (the offences) were committed for financial gain,” Judge Gartelmann stated.
“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 big group of supporters who crammed courtroom 3.1 of Sydney’s Downing Centre.
“Stay strong mate, stay strong,” he was advised by one supporter earlier than he was positioned in handcuffs by Correctives Services officers and led away.
Day was accused of embezzling practically $900,000 allegedly owed to the singer within the type of music royalties, efficiency and ambassador funds, however vehemently denied the allegations.
On June 30, the jury discovered Day responsible and convicted him on 34 of 47 expenses.
He was discovered not responsible of an additional 13 expenses.
The courtroom heard he embezzled cash from performances, together with a tour with Taylor Swift and an ambassadorship with Dreamworld.
Defence barrister Dominic Toomey SC beforehand advised the courtroom a “large number of client testimonials” have been “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 stated Day had been constantly described as “generous” and “trustworthy” by his supporters, and famous he was unlikely to offend once more.
He additionally famous he cared for his aged mom with dementia.
During a sentence listening to earlier this 12 months, the courtroom was advised Day was already planning to attraction the choice of the jury on “a number of bases”, one in all which was “serious prosecutorial misconduct”.
The jury heard a mountain of proof from witnesses, together with Sebastian, his spouse Jules, bookkeepers and the police officer accountable for the investigation.
Day was Mr Sebastian’s supervisor in 2009 however the pair had a bitter falling out in 2017.
Following the separation, Sebastian claimed he discovered anomalies in his monetary data and launched authorized motion in opposition to his former supervisor to recoup the cash he was owed.
Day responded with a counterclaim, alleging it was he who was owed cash by Sebastian – a declare the truth TV present decide denied.
Both males continued to argue the opposite owed them cash all through the heated trial in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court.
The jury discovered Day had used among the cash owed to Sebastian – together with about $187,000 from a Taylor Swift help act gig – to buy shares on his behalf in an organization known as My Medical Records. The courtroom was advised Day sat on the board of the corporate on the time.
Day was acquitted of embezzling $39,000 from a British and Irish Lions rugby tour efficiency, and different sums of cash starting from $6000 to $39,000 and $125,000.
“There is no evidence of remorse as the offender maintains his innocence,” Judge Gartelmann stated.
