Judge Peter Zahra Handling The Sebastian Case Has Died At The Age Of 66 


Judge Peter Zahra, the highly-regarded judge presiding over the embezzlement prosecution of Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian's long-time manager has died.

On Thursday morning, Judge was transported from his inner-west Sydney home to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Camperdown and placed on life support.

Over the weekend, his family and friends kept vigil at the hospital. Judge James Bennett informed the jury on Monday morning that his colleague had died on Sunday.

'We're not going to get much work done today,' Judge Bennett said. 'If you didn't know already, Judge Zahra died yesterday.' Jurors could be heard gasping for air.

'He was a very dear friend, I could say, and as you can expect, everyone in here is suffering the loss,' Judge Bennett added.

'Our husband and father, Judge Peter Raymond Zahra, went peacefully on Sunday, May 8, 2022, surrounded by his family,' his family said in a statement following his death.

"Dad was a unique individual who had an impact on everyone he encountered. Many great comments and recollections have been sent to us, demonstrating the sort of guy he was."

"He had a large heart and wanted to see everyone achieve more than they ever imagined possible," his children wrote. 

Judge Zahra was considered one of NSW's most renowned judges, with legal authorities describing him as "intellectual, fair, and just."

As a barrister, he testified in several significant murder and drug trials, establishing 'battered women's syndrome as a murder defense. He also expanded the defense of mental illness as an advocate. He authored a number of significant legal works.

Peter Raymond Zahra SC was appointed to the NSW District Court bench in 2007 after being selected as the state's senior public defender in 2001.

According to Daily Mail, in 2014, as a judge, he sentenced former Hey Day! actor Robert Hughes to at least six years in prison for child sex offenses.

He also sentenced disgraced former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer to a minimum of two years and three months in prison for lying to a court in April of last year.

More On: Who Was Norah Bruther? Fatal Car Accident Linked To Her Cause Of Death

What Will Happen To Sebastian, After Peter Zahra's Death? Was He Innocent or Fraud? 

The trial of Guy Sebastian's former long-time manager was delayed due to a stroke sustained by the judge presiding over the case.

The trial of Titus Day began last Tuesday in the Downing Centre District Court before Judge Peter Zahra and a jury. The trial had subsequently devolved into pandemonium, with Sebastian testing positive for Covid-19 just a day after testifying against his old manager.

Titus Emanuel Day, 49, has pled not guilty to 50 counts, including defrauding Sebastian of money owing to him in royalties and performance fees.

He also denies 50 further charges of larceny or theft.

However, Sebastian resumed his testimony on Wednesday, telling the jury that after becoming a foundation customer, his former manager promised him a part in his firm before stealing nearly $900,000 from him.

The amounts allegedly embezzled by the 49-year-old vary from $361.34 in royalties to $187,524 in performance fees. A $21,000 ambassadorship is one of the charges.

The trial is set to take five weeks and comes two years after Day's arrest on charges of misappropriating Sebastian's funds between 2013 and 2020.

This week, the court heard testimony. Sebastian only suspected Day of defrauding him after the chart-topping artist canceled their business partnership.

He reportedly uncovered 'anomalies' in bank documents following the nasty divorce and accused Day of embezzling about $1 million, according to the court.

Judge Peter Zahra's Wife And Married Life

Judge Peter Zahra was married to his wife and had children of his own. Personal facts regarding his family, on the other hand, are kept hidden from the public.

The Sydney judge's annual remuneration is believed to be $1 million. However, this is only an assumption, as h represents actual earnings, and worth might be larger or lower.

According to SMH.com, in Sydney, NSW, a judge's annual income is reported to be $91250. 

His family is devastated by his death. In their statement, they urge everyone to drink a hot chocolate and share a dad joke in honor of our Dad and his life.

"Those who knew him knew how much he enjoyed a good (or stupid) joke!"

"We respectfully request that you respect our privacy at this time and allow us to honor the life of a man who will leave a vacuum impossible to replace."