The man accused of the domestic violence murder of Molly Ticehurst has been ordered to face court, with a magistrate noting the case has been outstanding for a year.
Ticehurst, a 28-year-old childcare educator, was found dead in her home at Forbes, in central western NSW, in the early hours of April 22, 2024.
Her former boyfriend, Daniel Billings, is charged with her domestic violence murder along with 16 other offences.
Billings had been freed on bail a fortnight before the alleged murder on charges related to Ticehurst, including three counts of sexual intercourse without consent and four counts of stalking and intimidating her.
He was also charged with destroying property at her house and aggravated animal cruelty against her 12-week-old dachshund puppy in 2023.
Four more serious charges, including one count of aggravated sexual assault, were laid in December 2024.
Legal documents before the court accused Billings of threatening to cause Ticehurst further physical harm during the alleged sexual assault.
The 30-year-old has not entered pleas.
Billings’ case was briefly mentioned in Forbes Local Court on Friday morning, though he was not required to attend.
Crown prosecutor Shaun Croner told the court the legal parties needed a four-week adjournment.
“The parties are in negotiation and we just need to finalise negotiations,” Croner said.
Magistrate Michael Maher said it was the third case conference mention and the next court date had to be a committal.
“This matter has been outstanding since last April,” Maher said.
He ordered the legal representatives to appear in person at Parkes Local Court on June 20, while Billings can appear via audio-visual link from custody for the committal.
A committal is generally the first step in moving a case to a higher court.
Ticehurst’s death intensified a national movement against gendered violence and sparked changes to NSW bail laws, including “show cause” thresholds for bail applications and electronic monitoring of accused offenders.
Several members of Ticehurst’s family, including her parents, were in court to watch the brief proceedings.
