Molly Ticehurst's father tells killer he hopes her screams haunt him forever
An Australian court heard victim impact statements from the family of Molly Ticehurst, murdered by her ex-boyfriend Daniel Billings in 2024. The judge will hand down sentencing later in September.
The family of Molly Ticehurst came face-to-face on Thursday with her killer, Daniel Billings, at the start of his sentence hearing in the Supreme Court in Orange, New South Wales. Ticehurst, 28, was murdered in her home in Forbes in April 2024.
Her father, Tony Ticehurst, described her as big-hearted and his best friend and confidant. Speaking with visible emotion, he addressed Billings directly several times, calling him selfish and saying he hoped Molly's screams would haunt him forever. He added that after Billings serves his earthly punishment, he believes "the justice system of the universe" will judge him.
Molly's mother, Kate, was too overcome to read her own statement, which was delivered by a relative. It described Molly as her only child and best friend, and said she was heartbroken at her daughter's absence.
About 50 of Molly's family and friends attended the hearing, some wearing shirts reading "Her name was Molly". Billings, dressed in a black suit, repeatedly closed his eyes and bowed his head as the statements were read.
Details of the attack
The court heard Billings broke into Molly's bedroom just before midnight on 21 April 2024 and stabbed her 15 times in an attack lasting under a minute. In the preceding weeks he had repeatedly threatened to break in and kill her. He had already been charged with multiple counts of raping Molly and several domestic violence offences, but a local court registrar granted him bail a fortnight before the murder despite a provisional apprehended violence order taken out by police.
Billings pleaded guilty to murder in November 2025 following 18 months of legal negotiations, after which the sexual assault charges were dropped.
Molly's death fuelled a national campaign against gendered violence and prompted legal reforms in New South Wales, including tighter bail rules for people accused of domestic violence. Her father said the resulting "Molly's law" offered him some comfort. Also present in court was Donna Thornell, whose daughter Kristy Armstrong was killed in similar circumstances in 2023.
Justice Natalie Adams said she would hand down her sentence later in September.
