Monday 16 May 2022 07:19 AM Guy Sebastian trial delayed AGAIN after first judge died, lawyer got Covid and ... trends now
Guy Sebastian's trial against his ex-manager has been delayed again - just hours after it resumed following the death of its presiding judge.
Downing Centre District Court Judge Tim Gartelmann restarted the proceedings on Monday already with a complicating factor, that of Sebastian's barrister David Morters SC having tested positive for Covid.
This was after the Australian Idol winner and principal Crown witness Sebastian had himself come down with Covid in the opening week of the trial of Titus Day.
This was followed by Judge Peter Zahra falling ill and being taken to hospital where he died from a stroke.
The court heard Judge Zahra's funeral, which will be held at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney on Friday morning, may itself force a trial delay and Sebastian was also unavailable on that day.
When he resumed on Monday morning, Judge Gartelmann acknowledged 'the tragedy that is the loss of Judge Zahra', thanked the jury 'for continuing with your role', and pointed out that the crown prosecutor was appearing remotely because he had Covid.
His Honour also forecast the jury would have extended sitting hours to make up time, and the trial proceeded with Guy Sebastian in the witness box still giving evidence in chief to Mr Morters.
Guy Sebastian outside the Downing Centre where the embezzlement trial of his former Manager Titus Day ahs been beset with delays, including a judge's death and now a juror having a 'bad reaction' from eating lunch
Following the death from stroke of Judge Peter Zahra, a new judge Time Gartelmann has taken over the trial, but on Monday after just hours of evidence, a juror fell sick and it was adjourned
But when the lunch hour adjournment ended at 2pm, Judge Gartelmann told the court that 'a juror has taken ill' and 'had a reaction to food during the lunch break' and would 'need to have a medical examination'.
Adjourning the trial for the day, with the hope of 'getting further information about the welfare of the juror concerned', he noted that 'a number of' jurors had 'raised concerns about the estimated duration of the trial'
'We will address these concerns as soon as we can.'
Before the latest delay, Sebastian had resumed testifying against Day about allegations that as the singer's manager he had embezzled about $900,000 from his client.
The trial before 14 jurors which is expected to run for another four weeks, until mid-June.
Before the delays, the trial had heard that Sebastian's performance fees included almost $500,000 for supporting superstar Taylor Swift nearly a decade ago.
Sebastian charged $54,341 to sing at a wedding in Jakarta in July 2017 but just $10,000 for another wedding at Doltone House in Sydney in September that year.
McDonald's paid the entertainer $66,000 to appear at a conference the same month, and Harvey Norman forked out $33,000 for him to perform in August 2017.
Singer Guy Sebastian's performance fees - including almost $500,000 for supporting superstar Taylor Swift nearly a decade ago - were revealed at his former manager's embezzlement trial. Sebastian is pictured with his wife Jules
The trial heard Sebastian was paid almost $500,000 for performing as a support act for superstar Taylor Swift
Guy Sebastian's former manager Titus Day has pleaded not guilty to 50 charges of embezzlement as a clerk or servant. The charges relate to about $900,000 in royalties and fees allegedly not passed on to his former client and friend. Day is pictured outside court
The biggest fee paid to Sebastian detailed in the trial so far was $494,360 for supporting Swift during the four-city Australian leg of her 'The Red Tour' in December 2013.
The hit-maker also received $49,114.62 for singing at Allianz Stadium in
