Molly Ticehurst was murdered in her home by Daniel Billings on April 21 last year. Photo / Facebook
Before murdering Molly Ticehurst, Daniel Billings detailed his plans to break into his ex-partner’s home and kill her.
“Oh maybe I’ll just f***ing drive over there,” Billings said in a video recorded on his phone.
“And she reckons I was going to through the f***en window and cut her head off or something, maybe I might do that.”
Hours later, Billings burst into Ticehurst’s home in Forbes, New South Wales via her bedroom window and stabbed her 15 times with a hunting knife.
Yesterday, Billings was beamed into Forbes Local Court via videolink from Goulburn Supermax prison, where he pleaded guilty to murdering Ticehurst, 28, on the evening of April 21, 2024.
“That is to the charge of murder, Mr Billings enters a plea of guilty,” his legal-aid solicitor Diane Elston told the court yesterday.
For 18 months, Ticehurst’s family, loved ones and the Forbes community had been desperate to hear those words after the matter was continually delayed and adjourned.
His cowardly attack on the young mother-of-one and devoted childcare worker shocked the state, prompted widespread anger and resulted in change to NSW’s bail laws.
Yesterday, Ticehurst’s family and loved ones packed the court as Billings pleaded guilty to murder and several other charges, including animal cruelty after he admitted to killing her Dachshund puppy with a hammer.
Outside court, around 100 community members gathered in Victoria Park and applauded as Ticehurst’s father Tony exited the court.
Billings and Ticehurst had been in an off-and-on relationship from early 2022 and broke up for the last time on December 18, 2023.
When he murdered Ticehurst, Billings was on bail over charges relating to his former partner including stalk/intimidation, sexual intercourse without consent and animal cruelty.
According to a statement of agreed facts tendered to the court, Ticehurst went to Forbes police station on April 5, 2024 where she made sexual assault and domestic violence complaints against Billings.
Police also took out an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) on her behalf against Billings.
He was arrested at his workplace but was released on bail by the Dubbo Local Court the following day.
Just over two weeks later, he murdered her.
According to court documents, Ticehurst had alleged Billings had sexually assaulted her inside his ute, produced a knife and threatened to kill her.
In notes provided to police, she said: “I truely (sic) believe he will hurt me & he will not stop contact me, I live in fear for my life … my family and my animals.”
Ticehurst made notes, which were provided to police, in which she detailed threats she said Billings had made to her on April 3.
She told police that he told her: “I will come in the middle of the night & cut your head off” and “The police won’t stop me, I will get to you quicker than they will.”
In his police interview, Billings denied raping Ticehurst or threatening her with a knife.
Police found notes written by Billings in which he said: “Make me out to be a monster treat me like a animal then okay, I’m gonna play the f***ing part.”
On the night of the murder, he recorded several videos on his phone in which he expressed anger with police for “disrespecting” his Queensland boxing shirt and detailed plans to murder Ticehurst and then kill himself.
“That singlet done me,” he said in one video.
“That is when I’ve started getting thoughts in my head.
“Oh maybe I’ll just f***ing drive over there and she reckons I was going to through the f***en window and cut her head off or something. Maybe I might do that.”
He arrived at her home just before 11.30pm, broke in via a bedroom window and stabbed her 15 times, including in the ear, cheek and neck.
According to a statement of agreed facts, he was at her home for just over a minute.
He then recorded another video, in which he could be seen with blood on his hands, and said: “I’ve just murdered my ex-girlfriend”.
He then drove to his best friend’s home, where he made further admission.
When Billings was asked: “What are you doing here Daniel?” he said repeatedly: “I think I killed her.”
Billings will appear in the NSW Supreme Court in December, where he will be formally arraigned and a date will be set for sentencing proceedings.
Billings yesterday pleaded guilty to murder and will have several other charges taken into account on sentence, including contravening an AVO, animal cruelty and two counts of destroying or damaging property.
He also had 12 charges withdrawn yesterday, including multiple counts of stalking/intimidating, sexual intercourse without consent and destroying or damaging property.
The incident has caused trauma in the Forbes community, with about 100 people turning up in Victoria Park yesterday morning to show their support and express their anger.
The group broke out in a round of applause as Ticehurst’s father Tony and other loved ones emerged from court minutes after Billings entered his guilty plea.
Outside court, domestic violence campaigner Jacinda Acheson, a Ticehurst family friend, said there was no closure from something as horrific as Ticehurst’s death, and thanked the Forbes community for coming out to show support.
“I’m sad because we shouldn’t be standing here,” she said.
“It took too long. It’s great that the community showed up and it’s for the family. It’s all about the family.”
Ticehurst’s killing led to an overhaul of the state’s bail laws, under which registrars can no longer make bail decisions and alleged domestic violence offenders must be subject to electronic ankle monitors while on bail.
Under the reforms, a person charged with serious domestic violence offences must show cause why they should be granted bail, reversing the presumption of bail.
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