Molly Ticehurst: Alleged murder a ‘nightmare’ for family, as tributes for Forbes mum turn to calls for action
The family and friends of Forbes woman Molly Ticehurst say they are living a “nightmare” as they wake the day after the 28-year-old mum was found dead in her home.
And sometime before 1.50am on Monday, Ms Ticehurst became at least the 25th woman to allegedly be murdered by a man in Australia this year.
Daniel Billings, 29, an ex-boyfriend of Ms Ticehurst, was charged with her murder (domestic violence) and contravening prohibition/restriction in AVO on Monday afternoon. He was refused bail and due to appear in Orange Local Court.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.In the wake of the shocking death, tributes have poured in from the community and loved ones that Ms Ticehurst held dear.
A close friend, and the godmother of Ms Ticehurst’s six-year-old son, Melissa Shaw shared a gallery of the 28-year-old saying she wished she could turn back time to “fix this”.
“I want to wake up from this nightmare I want to wake up to see your name light up my phone I want to see you smile hear you laugh and watch you stuff your face with food,” she wrote.
“I wish I could rewind time and and fix this I want my godson to grow up with his mum.”
Ms Shaw described her slain friend as “the life of the party” and a woman who “loved wholeheartedly”, especially her young son — echoing Ms Ticehurst’s own words about her boy, who she described as her “whole world”.
“(You) will forever be in our hearts your memories will never be forgotten and (you’re) always with us no matter what,” Ms Shaw wrote.
Another close friend Kellie Fliedner, wrote about the “special” friendship she shared with “Molly Jean”.
“(You) always cared about me, even when you should’ve been caring for yourself,” Ms Fliedner wrote.
“I will cherish every single moment I spent with you my girl and you are a super hero to everyone who ever had the privilege of having a piece of MJ in their lives.”
Ms Ticehurst was a well-respected Forbes local, where she returned almost 10 years ago to raise her son.
She was a beloved assistant teacher at a large childcare centre in the central NSW town — even before her death, colleagues glowed about the smiling educator on social media, describing her as “a very nurturing, kind soul”.
It is the loss of this “beautiful soul” that has left the Forbes community “devastated”, and inspired a GoFundMe to open on behalf of Ms Ticehurst’s family “to give the the best send-off she deserves”.
In the four hours since it opened, $11,255 has been donated to the fundraiser.
It has also inspired calls for action to tackle violence against women, with Ms Ticehurst at least the 25th alleged murdered woman by a man in Australia this year, according to a tally kept by online advocacy group Counting Dead Women Australia.
Five of the six victims murdered at last week’s Bondi Junction mass killing were female, with police investigating whether Joel Cauchi deliberately targeted women.
And in Victoria, the region of Ballarat was reeling at three recent murders, which the State’s premier, Jacinta Allen, described as an epidemic.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the recent spate of attacks against women on Tuesday morning, saying Australia has to “do better”.
“The fact that more than one woman per week has died at the hands of someone that they know, whether it’s a partner or someone in a relationship, is just completely unacceptable. Men and boys have to clearly have discussions about these issues,” Mr Albanese told ABC News Breakfast.
He said Australia has known gendered violence has “been a crisis for some time”, and pointed to a number of Federal Government measures to support women fleeing violence and workers in the sector.
Mr Albanese said all levels of government had to act to stop gendered violence, but noted the issue is “clearly a society problem as well”.
“And we all have a responsibility to do what we can to address what is a scourge of violence against women.”
A crime scene was established at the Forbes property and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ms Ticehurst’s death has commenced.
