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Daniel Billings allegedly murdered his ex-girlfriend while on bail facing a string of violent charges, including raping and stalking her, a court has been told.
Circumstances that allowed a childcare worker’s alleged rapist and stalker to be released from prison and then allegedly murder her in her own home will be urgently reviewed.
Daniel Billings is back in custody after being charged with the domestic violence-related murder of Molly Ticehurst, 28, whose body was found in a home at Forbes in central-western NSW on Monday morning.
The 29-year-old, of Dalby in Queensland, did not appear when his case was briefly mentioned in Orange Local Court on Tuesday.
Court documents show Billings was on bail at the time of the killing, facing three charges of sexual intercourse without consent and four charges of stalking and intimidating Ticehurst in recent months.
In addition to the murder charge, Daniel Billings faces fresh charges of failing to comply with his bail conditions and breaching an apprehended violence order. Photo / Supplied
Chris Minns said concerns about Billings being on bail and the strength of apprehended violence orders (AVOs) were legitimate.
He is also accused of recklessly destroying her car window and a pedestal fan at her home in January, along with aggravated animal cruelty against her 12-week-old dachshund puppy last year.
In addition to the murder charge, he faces fresh charges of failing to comply with his bail conditions and breaching an apprehended violence order.
Molly Ticehurst’s father, Tony, said Billings should have been behind bars and someone must be held responsible for her death. ”If they’d have kept him in jail as the police wanted, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” Tony Ticehurst told 9News.
The case has prompted wider concern about why Billings was freed on bail and the strength of apprehended violence orders.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said those were “legitimate questions” and the government would work on answering them. Details of a review of the case were being finalised on Tuesday evening and will be announced on Wednesday.
”A family has lost their daughter and the circumstances are horrifying for that community and that family,” he said on Tuesday.
”Listening to her dad ... your heart breaks for him, he’s justifiably angry, he’s completely heartbroken, he wants answers as to what happened.”
Public Service Association of NSW president Stewart Little said courts were not adequately protecting women, making police and corrections officers’ work more difficult.
Molly Ticehurst's father says Billings should have been behind bars. Photo / Supplied
”It’s a kick in the guts for frontline police and for our members that work in the criminal justice system,” he said.
Detective Inspector Jason Darcy had earlier said Billings and Ms Ticehurst had been in a relationship and the “brutal” killing had her family devastated.
”Naturally, they’re just distraught,” he said on Monday.
An online fundraiser to give Ticehurst “the best send-off she deserves” raised A$21,000 ($23,000) in 10 hours. Billings did not apply for bail on Tuesday and it was formally refused by Magistrate David Day.
The magistrate also formally revoked bail on the earlier charges — which were dealt with by a different court — adding Billings had not yet entered pleas that were due.
”That’s not good enough,” he said.
Billings is due to appear in Parkes Local Court on June 20.
