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A bail application for high-profile Sydney jeweller Michel Germani has stalled over fears he could flee the country using the proceeds from a robbery at his own store.

Germani is accused of organising a major theft from his eponymous store in Sydney's city centre in order to defraud his insurance provider.

The whereabouts of $2.8 million worth of jewellery allegedly taken during the robbery remains unknown.

An insurance claim lodged by Germani is also pending.

Judge Sarah McNaughton questioned on Monday whether Germani could launder the stolen jewellery - if he had it - through his remaining store in Sydney's Queen Victoria Building in order to fund a getaway.

Veteran lawyer John Korn, representing Germani, argued the stolen goods were most likely in the possession of one of the alleged robbers, who was charged with offences including aggravated robbery.

"He's the one on the Crown case that's made off with it," Mr Korn said during the Supreme Court bail hearing.

But Justice McNaughton said she had to balance issues of Germani having to wait in custody for up to two years while awaiting trial with the prospect he could flee the country.

"It is a reasonably strong case ... and he has a huge incentive to flee the jurisdiction," she said.

"Where it currently stands I think there is too much risk."

A decision on the bail application was adjourned until 18 August.

Germani's wife has offered $50,000 surety, while another man, Simon Oliver, offered $200,000.

Crown prosecutor Stephen Makin suggested Germani might have handed over fake goods during the robbery.

"(He) may have held onto the valuable goods knowing the robbery was coming and given them worthless costume jewellery," he told the court.

Mr Makin said Germani, whose plea was not specified during the hearing, had a willingness to engage in "scheming" and had shown himself to have little regard for the safety of his employee, who was put through the robbery.

"Nobody will end up smelling like roses at the end of the matter," he said.

Mr Korn said if police could prove what they said occurred then his client's actions could be considered callous, but nothing had been determined yet.

He said there were serious issues with the Crown relying on evidence from one of the accused robbers, who he suggested had clear incentive to "roll over" on his client in order to get himself out of trouble.

Three people have been charged with various offences relating to the robbery and its planning, but Mr Korn said Germani had no association with the two alleged thieves.

© AAP 2023

A man who killed another over a pair of fake Apple earphones has been jailed for at least 21 years.

Abdul Karaali, 29, received a 28-year prison sentence with eligibility for parole in 2041 after a NSW Supreme Court jury found him guilty of murder.

Ross Houllis died in hospital from catastrophic injuries to the brain and lungs after he was brutally beaten by Karaali and Sami Hamdach on in February 2020.

Justice Stephen Campbell called the murder "gratuitous, senseless and cruel" before handed down the sentence to a celebratory cry from Mr Houllis's supporters.

Outside King Street Courts, Ross's mother Janet Houllis tearfully thanked the family's legal team and NSW Police.

"I'm glad that he got what he got but it doesn't bring Ross back," she said.

"I feel relieved that it's over, that we don't have to go through this all again."

Hamdach bought Apple Airpods from Mr Houllis and his brother Matthew off Facebook Marketplace without realising they were fake.

In an attempt to "not only extract a refund but to teach Mr Houllis a lesson", Hamdach covertly arranged another meeting with the seller while hiring Kaarali to act as "the muscle", Justice Campbell said.

"(Karaali) was prepared to engage in egregiously retaliatory acts over a consumer dispute most people would regard as trivial," he said on Monday.

The 28-year-old victim had suspected trouble was afoot and initially asked his brother to accompany him. But with Matthew unavailable, Mr Houllis was went to the rendezvous point alone.

Initially hiding behind a small truck in the Western Sydney carpark, Hamdach held Mr Houllis while Karaali began the violent assault, punching him in the head and torso.

He later ripped the young man's T-shirt from his back and "with some athleticism" kicked him in the head with enough force to make him fall.

Mr Houllis tried to escape but was tackled by Karaali and frogmarched to the street, where he lay unconscious as the offender violently stomped on his chest.

Two passing motorists inquired about Mr Houllis. Karaali told one he had suffered from a drug overdose and the other the victim was intoxicated.

The beating only stopped when Hamdach came between the two.

The co-offenders soon left the scene, "effectively leaving him for dead", Justice Campbell said.

Mr Houllis died three days later.

Hamdach had been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to his role in the crime while his partner, who arranged for Mr Houllis to meet and sell another pair, received a two-year sentence that will be served in the community.

With the court proceedings concluded, Mrs Houllis told reporters was preparing to leave NSW to try leave the painful memories behind.

"I can't walk out onto the street and see where they found him lying on the grass. It was so close," she said.

"(But) he's in my heart, he's with me all the time."

© AAP 2023

Casual workers could soon have the right to become permanent employees, but business groups warn the changes threaten to devastate many small firms.

Employment Minister Tony Burke has unveiled reforms to force bosses to offer casual staff who work regular hours a permanent job.

Workers would not have to take up the offer and could remain casual employees to continue receiving loadings on their hourly rates.

More than 850,000 people will be covered by the changes, but Mr Burke expects most casuals will opt for the status quo.

He said the proposal would neither deter employers from taking on casual workers nor impact the bottom line for business.

"I don't see in a million years how this can add costs to business, because instead of paying the loading, you pay leave, you never pay both ... and they're calculated to offset each other," he said.

Mr Burke said the changes would improve workers' rights and close a loophole used by employers to avoid paying permanent entitlements to an ongoing workforce.

Businesses would not have to back-pay employees for any entitlements gained by moving to permanent employment.

"At the moment you can be working a full-time roster for a year and you still get classed as a casual," Mr Burke said.

"There'll be some people with those sorts of hours who want to stay where they are and nothing will change for them, but for people who want security this gives them a way to be able to do it."

Australian Council of Commerce and Industry chief executive Andrew McKellar warned the changes could create uncertainty for large employers and smash small businesses.

"They are concerned that if they lose that flexibility, the ability to roster people according to demand and according to the requirements of the business, that's a fundamental change," he said.

"Our concern is that what the government is proposing would take us backwards, it would unpick that existing level of certainty.

"That can't be a good thing for employment and it can't be a good thing for small business."

Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said the proposed change could result in a radical restriction on employers' ability to engage casual workers for regular and predictable hours.

He said many casuals valued working regularly and having predictability while wanting the option not to work.

"Defining casual employment in a way that prevents or discourages an employer from offering a casual regular and predictable hours would be a mistake that would damage the economy and hurt both businesses and employees," he said.

"It won't help anyone if an employer is forced to convert a casual employee to a permanent job if one doesn't genuinely exist.

"The real risk is that employees will be laid off down the track."

Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus said the government's proposal was modest but welcome.

"People who are working regular jobs with regular hours deserve regular rights," she said.

"The government is leaving it in the hands of the worker to decide, if they're working regular hours, they want to be a permanent employee, get sick leave and annual leave or whether they want to keep their loading and remain as a casual.

"I don't think that it could be fairer than that."

© AAP 2023