Daniel Billings, who murdered his ex-girlfriend Molly Ticehurst, will not face a life sentence, a judge has indicated. Justice Natalie Adams told legal parties in the NSW supreme court on Monday, 31 August 2026, that she did not expect them to seek a life sentence for Billings.
Molly Ticehurst, a 28-year-old childcare educator, was found dead in her Forbes home on 22 April 2024. Her former boyfriend, Daniel Billings, broke into her bedroom and stabbed her 15 times.
Billings had been freed on bail just over two weeks before the killing, despite facing charges of rape and domestic violence offences against Ticehurst. He pleaded guilty to murder in November 2025, following 18 months of legal negotiations, and the sexual assault charges were subsequently dropped.
Justice Adams expressed concern about how to address expert evidence regarding Ticehurst's police statement, which alleged repeated rapes by Billings. She noted that Billings had developed an obsession with clearing his name regarding the rape allegations, stating, "If I’m going to do the time, I may as well do the crime," to a friend before the murder.
Billings, 31, is currently in custody at Goulburn jail. He is scheduled to attend a two-day sentence hearing in Orange starting Thursday, 3 September 2026, where victim impact statements and expert evidence on his mental state will be heard. Justice Adams has indicated she will sentence Billings later in September.