How Molly Ticehurst's alleged killer Daniel Billings was allowed back on the ... trends now

On a Saturday three weeks ago, although no-one knew it at the time, the fate of young mother-of-one Molly Ticehurst allegedly hung in the balance.

It was at a weekend hearing at Dubbo Local Court, one of three courts in the NSW central west which processes alleged offenders from Molly's hometown of Forbes, 375km west of Sydney. 

But on this particular Saturday, there was no magistrate sitting to oversee bail hearings.

Instead, court registrar Linda Cusack was presiding and 29-year-old Daniel Billings was asking for bail despite facing a raft of very serious charges.

He was accused of three counts of rape, four counts of stalking and intimidation, two counts of destroying property, including smashing car windows, and one count of animal cruelty.

All the charges related to Molly Ticehurst, her home, her vehicle with its distinctive 'MO11Y T' registration plates, and an alleged attack on her 12-week-old dachshund puppy.

Billings was represented by a Legal Aid lawyer - Bridget Byrnes - who successfully argued for his release despite the alleged reign of terror against his ex-partner.

It had allegedly begun months earlier in January and culminated in Billings arrest on April 5 and a night in the Forbes police cells.

Molly allegedly had a final brief reunion last December with drillworker Billings after their 18-month relationship had ended last July.

On the first Saturday of Molly's last month alive, Registrar Cusack was rostered on to hear cases because magistrates do not work on weekends in some country courts.

Though less qualified than magistrates, who require law degrees, it is a long-term practice for registrars to handle bail applications by a defendant charged with indictable offences.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Edward Knight argued that Billings posed a risk to Ticehurst and had made threats against the childcare worker and mother of a young boy.

This included an extensive argument against the accused’s release application to the registrar, citing 'specific threats [allegedly] in relation to coming back, knowing where she lives, coming in the window'. 

Sgt Knight said Billings could not 'let go of the relationship', felt 'possessiveness and jealousness over' Molly, and there was a real risk of 'interfering with a witness endangering her safety'.

Billings' lawyer counter-argued that Billings had 'no criminal history, denies the allegations... [and will] not enter or go within 25km of [Forbes]'.

She persuaded registrar Cusack that Billings could be allowed back into the community while on remand, kept in check with an Apprehended Violence Order including conditions not to approach Molly, nor enter the town of Forbes.

It is not suggested the registrar acted in any way other than in accordance with the applicable law in granting bail, or that any other officer of the court did not act accordingly. 

The estranged couple had previously lived together at her home in Young Street, Forbes, after Billings moved to NSW from Queensland where he had lived with his family.

Since their split, Billings had been sharing a rental with tradesmen in suburban Parkes, 25km away, where he worked for oil exploration company Resolution Drilling.

The registrar imposed a further $5000 surety on Billings and released him which, according to Ticehurst's father Tony, alarmed his daughter enough for her to leave town.

'She went away for the first week of the AVO,' Tony Ticehurst told Nine. 'She said she was wary and nervous and couldn't sleep.'

However, Molly figured that if Billings 'was going to do something, it would be within that week'.

Ms Byrnes, Billings' Legal Aid lawyer, was 'off work today', Dubbo Legal Aid Commission told Daily Mail Australia on Friday.