Prosecutors will not appeal sentencing of DV murderer Daniel Billings

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) will not appeal the 28-year sentence handed down to murderer Daniel Billings in the Orange Supreme Court. 

Warning: This article includes descriptions of domestic violence and murder. 

Billings, 31, pleaded guilty to stabbing his former partner and childcare worker Molly Ticehurst to death in her Forbes home in April 2024. 

Judge Natalie Adams sentenced him to 28 years in prison with a non-parole period of 20 years, sparking outrage from politicians and friends of Ms Ticehurst.

In a statement, the ODPP said it would not challenge the judgement. 

"Having carefully considered the sentence imposed and the circumstances of this case, the ODPP has determined not to institute an appeal against Mr Billing's sentence," the spokesperson said. 

"This decision was made in accordance with the prosecution guidelines." 

The ODPP had 28 days following the sentencing to appeal.

Decision slammed 

The independent member for Orange Phil Donato, who previously worked as a police prosecutor, said he was "disappointed" by the ODPP's decision.

"If that's not the most serious type of domestic homicide then I don't know what is,"

he said.

"This is a matter that drew nationwide condemnation in relation to domestic violence. 

"[It] is a gross injustice." 

Billings was out on bail at the time of the murder for offences alleged to have been committed against Ms Ticehurst, including sexual assault, which he denies. 

The court heard during a hearing in the Orange Supreme Court in September, that Billings broke through Ms Ticehurst's bedroom window at 11:27pm, stabbed her multiple times with a hunting knife and left the home less than a minute later. 

At a press conference on September 16, NSW Premier Chris Minns described Billings as a "bastard" and said the sentence was inadequate. 

"It's a vicious, horrible crime. I would have loved to see him [get] far, far longer,"

Mr Minns said.

"I just feel terrible for the family who are decent, honest, hard-working people who've lost their daughter at the hands of a complete bastard." 

Speaking outside court after the sentence was handed down on September 11, Ms Ticehurst's childhood friend Aidan Clark said life imprisonment for Billings was the outcome her friends and family wanted. 

"There's nothing that will bring Molly back and no time was ever going to be enough," he said. 

Calls for release of review

The total sentence Justice Adams handed down was 35 years, which was discounted to 28 years due to Billings's guilty plea. 

While handing down her judgement, Justice Adams said her considerations included Billings mental state and level of remorse shown after the murder. 

In 2024, a review was announced by the NSW government into the contact Ms Ticehurst had with government agencies and domestic violence services after reporting Billings to police.

Ms Ticehurst's mother Kate Shaw called for the review's release following the conclusion of the sentencing hearing. The premier committed to do so once the appeal process had finished.

"The NSW government will make as much information as possible about the outcomes of the review available to the family of Molly Ticehurst and the people of NSW as soon as it is able to," a government spokesperson said.

Mr Donato said the review needs to be released immediately. 

"The family of Molly deserves to know what's in that report and if there were failings in the system," he said. 

"There needs to be accountability and transparency around it. 

"There is no reason now why it should not be released."

Bail reforms were introduced in NSW following a campaign sparked by Ms Ticehurst's murder. 

The reforms included people accused of serious domestic violence offences being required to wear electronic monitoring devices when granted bail.