A New South Wales court has been shown chilling footage of Daniel Billings driving away from Molly Ticehurst’s house after he had murdered his former partner in a frenzied stabbing attack in 2024.
Billings raised a bloodied hand to his face and recorded a video message, which was aired during his supreme court sentence hearing in Orange on Thursday.
“I can’t believe I just did that,” Billings said in the video.
Gasps were heard in the court room as the footage of him driving through dark streets in Forbes was played.
Billings, 31, has pleaded guilty to murdering Molly Ticehurst, 28, in April 2024 in her home. The crime became a flashpoint for a national movement against domestic and gendered violence.
Other videos played on Thursday showed Billings weeping, smoking, spitting and swearing.
In a recording from hours before the 21 April murder, Billings stared straight into the camera and snarled: “Molly Jean Ticehurst, well you’ve done it, you’ve succeeded in whatever you wanted out of all of this.”
Billings subsequently smashed Molly’s bedroom window and used a hunting knife to stab her 15 times in an attack that lasted less than a minute, according to a statement of agreed facts before the court.
Billings, a trainee mining driller, had repeatedly threatened to break into Ticehurst’s home and kill her in the preceding weeks and months.
Molly made a statement to police a fortnight before she died, leading to Billings being charged with several counts of sexual assault and domestic violence offences.
Police opposed bail, but a local court registrar granted Billings conditional freedom after he spent one night in police custody.
Upon his release on bail, Billings developed a dark obsession with clearing his name as a rapist, the court heard.
In the videos, he repeatedly claimed to be wrongfully accused of sexual assault.
“I didn’t ask for this war,” he said in one recording. “I will not wear punishment ... for something I did not do. If I’m going to be punished either way, OK, I’m going to go crazy.”
The Ticehurst family earlier delivered victim impact statements in court. Molly’s father, Tony Ticehurst, described his daughter as big-hearted and deeply loved, his best friend and confidant.
“When she died, part of me died with her,” Tony Ticehurst said on Thursday, his voice heavy with emotion.
He addressed Billings directly several times, describing him as selfish and saying he hoped his daughter would haunt him. “I hope that every night Molly’s screams keep you awake,” he said.
Molly Ticehurst’s mother, Kate, held her hand tightly over her face as her victim impact statement was read aloud by a relative.
“Molly was my only child and my best friend,” her statement read. “I’m heartbroken that my girl is no longer with me.”
Billings, wearing a black suit and sneakers, sat in an elevated wooden dock listening to proceedings.
He bowed his head during the victim impact statements and leaned down to stare at his hands while the videos were played.
About 50 of Molly’s family and friends were at the courthouse, some wearing shirts saying “Her name was Molly”.
Ticehurst’s murder led to legal changes in NSW, including tighter bail laws for people accused of domestic violence. Her father said that had brought some comfort. “Molly’s law has now been introduced; I will be forever proud to be her dad.”
The charges of sexual assault were withdrawn after Billings pleaded guilty to murder in the local court in November 2025.
Charges of property damage, animal cruelty offences and breaching the apprehended violence order were to be taken into consideration during Billings’ sentence. Justice Natalie Adams indicated she would hand down her sentence later in September.
