The murder of Molly Ticehurst in central NSW, allegedly at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, has sparked a review of the states' bail laws. Now, a former magistrate says the case has exposed a gap in the legal system that is putting victims at risk.

Forbes

The tragic murder of Molly Ticehurst in central New South Wales, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend Daniel Billings, has ignited calls for an urgent review of the state's bail laws. This incident has highlighted what a former magistrate has described as a significant gap in the legal system that endangers victims' safety.

Mollie Ticehurst's murder occurred in a Forbes home, just two weeks after Daniel Billings was granted bail by a Dubbo local court registrar. Billings had previously faced multiple violent charges, including three counts of sexual assault against Ticehurst. The decision to release him on April 6 was made by a court registrar, a role typically filled by a public servant with minimal legal training, due to the unavailability of a magistrate.

David Hilpern, a former magistrate, has criticized the current process, stating that registrars lack the necessary qualifications to make such critical decisions. He has urged the government to make immediate amendments to the system to allow for audiovisual links with magistrates, avoiding decisions by unqualified registrars.

The government has acknowledged the urgency of the matter, announcing an imminent review of the bail system. This move comes in the wake of not only Ticehurst's case but another incident where a woman was allegedly murdered by her ex-partner under similar circumstances after being granted bail by a registrar.

The Premier has expressed concern over the current bail laws and the need for a swift and comprehensive overhaul to improve victim safety, though any changes will sadly come too late for victims like Molly Ticehurst.



Magistrate calls for bail law review after murder

Mollie Ticehurst was allegedly murdered by her ex-boyfriend Daniel Billings in a Forbes home just two weeks after he was granted bail in Dubbo local court. He'd previously been charged with multiple violent offences against her, including three counts of sexual assault. The decision to set him free on April 6th was made by a court registrar because a magistrate was not available. A registrar is essentially a public servant who has done a short training course. They're not generally lawyers, in fact I don't know any that are, there may be a few. David Hilpern is a former magistrate and says registrars are not qualified to make decisions that could put lives at risk. He's called on the government to urgently amend the system by enabling audiovisual links to be used when a local magistrate is not available. There's no reason why registrars can't be bypassed and go before a magistrate in Sydney or wherever the duty magistrate happens to be sitting on that weekend. The government has already flagged the changes as part of its urgent review announced this week. But Mollie Ticehurst is not an isolated case. ABC News can reveal another woman was allegedly murdered by her former partner in a regional New South Wales town last year after he was granted bail by a court registrar in similar circumstances just days earlier. We can't reveal the details of that case because it's still before the courts. The Premier concedes immediate changes are needed. The status quo is not good enough. I am concerned. There is a need for a comprehensive response. A response that will come too late for many.

President Joe Biden publicly warned Israel for the first time that the U.S. would stop supplying weapons if Israeli forces make a major invasion of Rafah, a refugee-packed city in southern Gaza. Biden also acknowledged that American bombs provided to Israel have killed civilians in Gaza.

Washington

Biden vows to deny Israel weapons if Rafah attacked

New storms are forecast for Brazil's flooded Rio Grande do Sul region. Authorities say the expected rain will make rescue efforts difficult. More than 100 people have been killed so far by the devastating floods.

State of Rio Grande do Sul

Brazil flood death toll hits 100 as government pledges aid

The final stop on President Xi's trip to Europe is Hungary. China has invested close to 10 billion dollars in manufacturing and infrastructure in the country and Prime Minister Viktor Orban is keen to maintain good ties with a major economic partner.

Budapest

Xi Jinping ends European tour in Hungary

The Federal government has revealed its forecast for household disposable incomes, projecting an increase of 3.5% for the next financial year. This positive outlook is ascribed to wages rising at a rate faster than inflation.

Canberra

Government predicts household incomes to improve

Bonza, the Australian airline that commenced operations in January last year, has initiated a significant step by deploying the first of its 737 fleet to Hawaii from Sunshine Coast Airport.

Council of the City of Sydney

Seized Bonza jets flown to Hawaii

A 45-year-old man has been arrested after a 39-year-old woman was stabbed in a gym car park in Sydney's inner south on Wednesday afternoon. The alleged attacker was the subject of an AVO order put in place last month to protect the woman.

Alexandria

Man arrested over gym car park stabbing

U.S. President Joe Biden has warned it will halt weapons shipments to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders an invasion of Rafah — one of the last refuges for more than a million Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel-Gaza War

Biden warns U.S. withholding weapons if Israel invades Rafah

Russia has launched more than 70 missiles and drones in one of its largest barrages against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
The attacks were directed at facilities in Kyiv and six other cities. Moscow continues to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in the hope of denting industry and public appetite for fighting back against its invasion.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Russia targets Ukraine energy infrastructure in barrage of attacks

Five asylum seekers have been detained after arriving on Saibai Island, just off the northern tip of Australia in the Torres Strait, originating from West Africa. Traveling approximately 14,000km using forged documents, their journey included stops in Indonesia and PNG.

Cape York

Asylum seekers arrive on boat from PNG

April was the eleventh consecutive month to break its own heat record, the European Union climate monitor Copernicus said, while ocean temperatures have been off the charts for even longer.

Brussels

Climate Crisis

Hottest April on record extends global temperature streak

The death toll continues to rise in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande Do Sul, in the wake of torrential rains and floods. At least 138 people have died and thousands lack water and electricity as floodwaters inundate entire towns.

‘Desperate’ rescues under way as Brazil floods kill hundreds

The grief-stricken parents of murdered Perth brothers Jake and Callum Robinson have spoken for the first time since the pair were killed in Mexico. In an emotional statement on a San Diego beach, Debra and Martin Robinson confirmed they had identified their sons bodies, and are now planning to bring them home.

San Diego

Parents of Australian brothers open up on heartbreak

A 39-year-old woman has been stabbed in the carpark of the Crunch Fitness gym in Alexandria, Sydney's inner-south. Witnesses say the woman ran into the gym bleeding from her face. Police say it is a suspected domestic violence incident.

Manhunt underway after woman stabbed in Sydney gym carpark

As Israeli tanks roll through the southern Gaza city of Rafah after rejecting Hamas's ceasefire offer, the country's leaders are facing increasing pressure from both inside and out to reach a deal to stop the fighting.

Rafah

Israel rejects Hamas truce offer, takes control of Rafah crossing

Adult film star Stormy Daniels took the stand in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, outlining the salacious details of her alleged sexual encounter with the former U.S. president and the payments she says she received for her silence.

New York

Stormy Daniels delivers explosive testimony in Trump hush money trial

Millions of people have cast their ballots in India’s third of a seven-phase general election. It took place in eleven states and union territories. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a third term, cast his vote in Ahmedabad.

Gujarat

Millions vote in third phase of India's national elections

Ukraine says it thwarted a Russian plot to assassinate senior Ukrainian political and military figures, including President Volodymyr Zelensky. Two Ukrainian security officials were arrested for their links to Russia's Federal Security Service, which had aimed to carry out high-profile killings ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inauguration.

Ukraine says it foiled Russian attempt to assassinate Zelenskyy

A spokesperson for the Chinese Communist Party has deflected blame for an altercation between a Chinese military jet and an Australian Seahawk Helicopter in waters off South Korea, claiming the helicopter was flying 'too close' to Chinese territorial waters.

Beijing

China blames Australia for mid-air military incident

President Vladimir Putin was sworn in for a new six-year term on Tuesday (May 7) at a Kremlin ceremony, boycotted by the U.S. and other Western countries, at which he said he was potentially open to nuclear talks with the West.

Moscow

Putin starts new six-year term with challenge to West

The Israeli military said it had taken operational control of the Palestinian side of Gaza's southern Rafah Crossing, which borders Egypt, and that special forces were scanning the area.

Israel claims control of Rafah crossing

President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian military to hold nuclear weapons drills involving the navy and troops based near Ukraine, the defence ministry said Monday.

Putin orders nuclear drills near Ukraine

Australian and Chinese relations are strained following an incident involving military forces from both countries. During a routine operation in the Yellow Sea, within international waters, an Australian helicopter faced an aggressive manoeuver by a Chinese military jet.

Australia hits out at China over helicopter incident

Interest rates will remain unchanged after the Reserve Bank of Australia decided to keep the cash rate at 4.35%, a figure that has held steady since November. It comes amidst the ongoing struggle with rising costs of living pressures.

RBA keeps interest rates on hold

Israel has launched new airstrikes in Rafah, warning 100,000 people there to flee to a designated safe area ahead of an expected ground operation. The strikes came after Hamas agreed to a mediated ceasefire proposal but Israel did not.

Hamas accepts mediated ceasefire deal; Israel doesn't

The bodies of Perth brothers Callum and Jake Robinson have been formally identified after their grieving family arrived in Mexico. Authorities have arrested four people in connection with the alleged murders.

Baja California

Grieving family arrives in Mexico to identify brothers' remains

The Defence Minister has condemned the conduct of a Chinese fighter jet, which launched flares near an Australian Seahawk helicopter. The incident occurred over international waters in the Yellow Sea off the coast of South Korea.

Seoul

Chinese fighter jet detonates flares near Australian helicopter

Israel's military has carried out airstrikes in Rafah, residents said, hours after Israel told Palestinians to evacuate parts of the southern Gaza city where more than a million people uprooted by the war have been sheltering.

Jerusalem

Israel strikes Rafah after evacuation order, residents say

Chinese President Xi Jinping awoke in Paris on Monday on his first visit to the region in five years, with trade and Russia's war with Ukraine on the agenda in talks with France's Emmanuel Macron and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.

Paris

China's Xi Jinping pays state visit to France

Israel has ordered civilians in Rafah to move towards Khan Younis, in the clearest sign yet that a military operation is imminent. A ceasefire in Gaza looks as distant as ever with Hamas refusing to lay down arms unless there is a complete cessation of the war. Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would go it alone if necessary, even in the face of criticism from its Western allies.

Israeli army orders Palestinians to evacuate parts of Rafah

The bodies Australian brothers, Jake and Callum Robinson have been identified by authorities in Baja California, Mexico. It comes as their grieving parents arrive in the country.