Tony Ticehurst, father of murdered Molly Ticehurst, expresses dismay after learning through media reports that her killer, Daniel Billings, intends to appeal his 28-year sentence. Billings filed the notice on October 9 and has one year to file a formal appeal; he was sentenced in September following a guilty plea for the murder committed in April 2024. Ticehurst criticizes the lack of direct communication from legal authorities regarding the potential appeal, which prolongs the emotional closure he had hoped for after sentencing.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-13,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In April 2024, Daniel Billings killed Molly Ticehurst in her home in Forbes, NSW. After a two-day sentencing hearing at the Supreme Court in Orange in September, Justice Natalie Adams sentenced Billings to 28 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of 20 years. Recently, Tony Ticehurst, Molly's father, expressed disappointment when he learned that Billings had filed a notice of intention to appeal his sentence. With this filing, the case could potentially resume proceedings within the next year. Billings pleaded guilty to murder in November 2025 and admitted to other charges related to animal cruelty, property damage, and breaching an AVO.
Written for “Molly Ticehurst Case Appeal” on 2026-10-13,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
In short:
Molly Ticehurst's father, Tony, has expressed disappointment at how he found out about his daughter's killer's possible appeal
Daniel Billings has filed a notice of intention to appeal against his murder sentence.
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Billings → express → sentence
Billings has one year to file the notice of appeal.
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Billings → have → appeal
With his daughter's killer sentenced to 28 years' jail, Tony Ticehurst thought the drawn-out court process was over.
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process → sentence → jail
He hoped he could finally let his beloved daughter rest in peace, but the case could soon recommence.
uncertain
case → hop → peace
Daniel Billings has filed a notice of intention to appeal his 28-year sentence, which includes a non-parole period of 20 years, for killing Ms Ticehurst in her home at Forbes in April 2024.
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which → file → April
The sentence was handed down by Justice Natalie Adams in the Supreme Court at Orange in September, after a two-day sentencing hearing.
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sentence → hand → hearing
"Yes, he's allowed to appeal but to me, Molly's dad, it just means it just drags it out for another 12 months,"Mr Ticehurst said.
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Ticehurst → allow → months,"Mr
Billings pleaded guilty to murder in November 2025, and made an admission of guilt to animal cruelty, damaging property and breaching an apprehended violence order (AVO).
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Billings → plead → order
The latter charges are not formal guilty pleas, but can be taken into account at sentencing.
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charges → take → sentencing
The now-31-year-old had one month to lodge a notice of intention to appeal his sentence.
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old → have → sentence
The Supreme Court has confirmed Billings did so on October 9.
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Billings → confirm → October
He now has one year in which to lodge the notice of appeal.
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He → have → appeal
Mr Ticehurst said he found out about Billings's potential appeal via the media on Tuesday morning.
"
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he → say → morning
It is weak in this day and age that the people involved can't be advised and [we] find it out via the media"he said.
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we → involve → media"he
The ABC has contacted the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for a response.
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ABC → contact → response
Sentence length criticised
Late last week the ODPP decided not to appeal Billings's sentence on behalf of the prosecution.
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ODPP → criticise → prosecution
Billings's full sentence was 35 years, but Justice Adams applied a 20 per cent discount which brought it back to 28 years.
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which → apply → years
The length of his jail time has been criticised by MPs including Premier Chris Minns.
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length → criticise → Minns
"[This is] one of the most despicable people that we have in NSW prisons; a vicious murderer," Mr Minns told Radio 2GB.
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Minns → have → prisons
"One of the most violent people that we've seen … he's a killer of women.
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he → see → women
I hope that he rots in jail.
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he → hope → jail
"There's always the chance when you pursue an appeal that a higher court imposes a longer penalty, and I certainly hope that happens."
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that → be → penalty
Independent member for Orange Phil Donato has condemned Billings's sentence as being inadequate.
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Donato → condemn → sentence
He has drafted a bill to introduce mandatory life sentences for domestic violence murders that are committed while an AVO or bail conditions are in place.
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AVO → draft → place
The bill is set to be formally introduced in the next few weeks.
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bill → set → weeks
A spokesperson for NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley has previously stated that the maximum penalty for murder in NSW is life imprisonment.
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penalty → state → NSW
"The government has also enshrined in law a 25-year standard non-parole period for intimate partner homicides," they said.
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they → enshrine → homicides
This mandatory non-parole period is not retrospective, so does not apply to Daniel Billings's case.
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period → apply → case
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