Guy Sebastian speaks out after court victory
A judge has warned Guy Sebastian’s former manager Titus day, he is facing a full time prison sentence.
However, he is allowed to roam free for the time being as the singer claims he is “heartbroken over the depth of betrayal and dishonestly.”
Titus Day will have to surrender his passport after being convicted of 34 charges including the fraudulent embezzlement of over $640,000 of the famed singers earnings.
Guy spoke out about the jury’s guilty verdict, saying he felt grateful the “painful chapter” of his life is “finally over.
“I’m finding it very difficult to put into words how I feel about all of this right now,” Sebastian wrote on social media.
“It was not only shocking but also heartbreaking to discover the depth of betrayal and dishonesty that I uncovered over these last four plus years.
“There’s nothing more important than trust in an artist/manager relationship. The thing is, Titus was more than just my manager, he was one of my closest mates.”
Sebastian said he tried everything to get “honest explanations” for the money he discovered had been missing, but the requests were met with “the most outrageous and unfounded accusations”.
He claimed Mr Day tried to “tarnish” his reputation and “dissuade him” from pursuing justice.
Day faced a gruelling seven-week trial after he was accused of embezzling nearly $900,000 allegedly owed to the singer in the form of music royalties, performance fees and ambassador payments.
The jury heard a mountain of evidence from witnesses, including Sebastian, his wife Jules, bookkeepers and the police officer in charge of the investigation before making their determination.
On Friday the jury found him guilty and convicted him on 34 of the 47 charges. He was found not guilty of 13 charges.
Crown prosecutor David Morters SC on Friday told the court he was applying for Day to go straight to prison on the basis he was found guilty of so many charges, the quantity of money they involve and the period of which they were committed.
“The offender has been found guilty of 34 of 47 counts, the total value is about $648,000...each offence can carry a maximum penalty of prison,” Mr Morters told the court.
“The accused was in a position of trust over four years.”
Day’s defence barrister Dominic Toomey told Judge Timothy Gartelmann SC he would have to be “positively satisfied” Day would definitely go to prison after undergoing a sentence hearing.
Judge Gartelmann told the court while Day is “likely” to be sentenced to full-time imprisonment, he is not “positively satisfied” of the certainty due to the limited evidence before the court.
“The application must be refused. However, it must be understood that the determination I have made today does not mean the accused will not be sentenced to full time imprisonment nor does it mean it is unlikely.
“The determination whether a sentence of imprisonment is appropriate will be made following a sentence proceedings in due course.”
Day must surrender his passport to the court and report to police at Waverley Police Station once a week.
Images: Nine News