‘Not good enough’: Murder accused to stay behind bars
Members of Molly Ticehurst's family were in court for a brief hearing on her accused killer's case. Photo: Facebook
A man accused of brutally murdering his ex-girlfriend while out on bail for rape, stalking and cruelty charges against her will remain behind bars.
Daniel Billings is charged with the domestic violence murder of Molly Ticehurst, 28, whose body was found in a home at Forbes, in central-western New South Wales, early on Monday.
Investigations led police to a property 100 kilometres away at Fifield, where Billings was arrested.
The 29-year-old, from Dalby in Queensland, was also charged with breaching an apprehended violence order and failing to comply with bail conditions.
During a brief mention of his murder case in Orange Local Court on Tuesday morning, Billings did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody by magistrate David Day.
Day also formally revoked Billings’ bail on earlier charges, including three counts of sexual intercourse without consent and four counts of stalking and intimidating Ticehurst in recent months.
The earlier charges also included two counts of recklessly destroying a car window and a pedestal fan at her house, and aggravated animal cruelty against her 12-week-old dachshund puppy.
Billings had not entered pleas that were due on those charges, the court heard.
“That’s not good enough,” Day said.
Billings remains in custody at Parkes police station and did not appear in court. He will return to court on June 20.
Before the hearing, Detective Inspector Jason Darcy said Billings and Ticehurst had been in a relationship.
He described the killing as “brutal”, adding that it had left Ticehurst’s family devastated.
“Naturally they’re just distraught,” he said on Monday.
Ticehurst was a childcare worker in Forbes.
Her grieving father, Tony Ticehurst, believes his daughter would still be alive if Billings had been kept behind bars.
“Someone’s got to be responsible,” he told the Nine Network on Monday.
“If they’d have kept him in jail as the police wanted, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
Ticehurst paid tribute to his daughter, who was loved by many.
“I can say all the normal stuff that people say about how their daughter was beautiful, but Molly really was,” he said.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said Ticehurst had done everything right in seeking an AVO.
“We need to understand what happened, the immediate run-up to this alleged crime and that’s exactly what we’re doing this morning,” he said on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was a “horrific story” and acknowledged that the government and Australian society needed to do more.
“We all have a responsibility to do what we can to address what is a scourge of violence against women,” he told ABC radio on Tuesday.
“Men and boys have to clearly have discussions about these issues. There is a need to show respect to women.
“It is obviously completely unacceptable that this is occurring and that it’s so prevalent”.
Albanese also noted a need to increase funding for domestic violence resources and update laws.
In Australia, more than one woman every week dies at the hands of a partner or former partner. There have already been more than 25 fatalities in incidents of violence against women in 2024.
Last Friday, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said men need to “step up” and address the problem, echoing remarks by family violence prevention advocate Rosie Batty earlier in April.
“It’s our responsibility to educate ourselves, our sons, our colleagues and our friends,” he said.
The issue of femicide has returned to the spotlight after 64 people were recorded to have been killed in incidents of violence against women in 2023, according to Counting Dead Women Australia.
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-with AAP
