September 3, 2026 — 12:12pmThe family of Molly Ticehurst has faced her killer Daniel Billings, condemning him to the judgment of the universe and mourning the bright, loved young mother he senselessly murdered.Billings’ apology letter to the court has revealed a man still fixated by his own suffering, obsessed with media coverage of his case and paying only passing thought to the woman he killed.The family of Molly Ticehurst have paid tribute to the bright, loved young mother in court.Sharni Tolhurst PhotographyBillings, 31, broke into Ticehurst’s home in Forbes just before midnight on April 22, 2024, and stabbed the young mother more than a dozen times with a hunting knife.Weeks before her death, Ticehurst had told police Billings had sexually assaulted her and killed her puppy with a hammer. He had threatened to kill her.“I will come in the middle of the night … I will get to you if that is the last thing I do. The police won’t stop me. I will get to you quicker than they will,” Billings warned.He was bailed by a court anyway.Daniel Billings pictured at a Supreme Court hearing last month.Rocco FazzariOn Thursday, the NSW Supreme Court played chilling recordings Billings had made in which he talks about “becoming a slave to hatred” while on his way to kill Ticehurst.Billings rambled extensively in messages for his friends and family in which he described becoming a monster and the “suicide mission” he was about to embark on.He wondered what the newspapers would say about him, and at times evangelised in biblical verses about thistles and cutting off the hands that sin and returning to dust, as magpies warbled in the background.Ticehurst’s death provoked widespread anger about the intractable scourge of domestic violence, sparking extensive bail reforms called Molly’s Law.But on Thursday the court heard the human wreckage Billings’ crime left behind.Tony Ticehust, father of Molly, outside court in Forbes in November 2025.AAPIMAGETicehurst’s son now carries her ashes everywhere he can, even to the shops.“I really miss my mum because I miss going on holidays and mowing the lawn with her and watching Ice Age in her room,” her son wrote, in a tearful statement read by the boy’s father.“I love my mum very much.”Ticehurst’s father, Tony, called on the universe to deliver justice.“(Her son) was her world, as Molly was mine,” he said.“She should have been safe. No one should ever have to fear for their life in their own home.“I believe that after you have served your punishment here on Earth, the justice system of the universe will judge you.”Tony’s glasses fogged up as he recited a passage of Johnny Cash’s When The Man Comes Around, a song Billings listened to as he drove to Forbes to kill his daughter.“I hope that every night, Molly’s screams keep you awake. And the hairs on your arms stands up in terror,” Tony said.“And I look and behold a pale horse, and his name that sat on him was Death.”“I doubt that there will be a golden ladder reaching down for you, nor will be there be virgins trimming their wicks to guide you home.”Molly Ticehurst was killed in April 2024.He ended his statement addressing his daughter.“You will always be my girl ... I will grieve you for the rest of my life.”The Ticehurst family’s statements included photos of Molly hugging family, smiling and lifting her son into the air.One image shows Ticehurst’s son clutching his mother’s ashes, laying face down in his bed.Molly Ticehurst (centre) with her parents Kate and Tony.Court documents released on Thursday include Billings’ apology letter he penned in May to express his remorse.“How do I feel for what I done? I feel horrible, ashamed I’ve ruined so many lives,” Billings wrote.“The biggest victims are the 2 kids, Molly’s son won’t ever physically have his mum there & my son doesn’t yet understand ‘Why doesn’t Dad visit me anymore?’”Billings’ letter devotes much of its three pages to how it feels being painted as a “monster”, echoing the videos he recorded before the murder.“I’m not a heartless monster like they say, I’m just a human, capable of making mistakes and capable of feelings & emotions and I feel like absolute shit and I’m as sorry as a person can be for what I have done,” Billings complained.The sentencing hearing will last two days.If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), Lifeline 131 114, or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636. You can reach Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. From our partners