A man accused of brutally murdering his ex-girlfriend while out on bail for sexual assault, stalking and animal cruelty charges will remain behind bars.
Investigations led police to a property 100km away in Fifield, where Billings was arrested.
The 29-year-old, from Dalby in Queensland, was also charged with breaching an apprehended violence order and failing to comply with bail conditions.
During a brief mention of the murder case in Orange Local Court this morning, Billings did not apply for bail and it was refused by Magistrate David Day.
Day also formally revoked Billings’ bail on earlier charges, including three counts of sexual intercourse without consent and four counts of stalking and intimidating Ticehurst in recent months.
The earlier charges also included two counts of recklessly destroying a car window and a pedestal fan at her house, and aggravated animal cruelty against her 12-week-old dachshund puppy.
Billings had not entered pleas that were due on those charges, the court heard.
“That’s not good enough,” Day said.
Billings remains in custody at Parkes police station and did not appear in court.
Before the court appearance, Detective Inspector Jason Darcy said Billings and Ticehurst had been in a relationship.
Darcy described the killing as “brutal”, adding that it had left Ticehurst’s family devastated.
“Naturally they’re just distraught,” he told reporters yesterday.
Ticehurst was a childcare worker in Forbes.
Premier Chris Minns said Ticehurst had done everything right in seeking an apprehended violence order.
“We need to understand what happened, the immediate run-up to this alleged crime and that’s exactly what we’re doing this morning,” he said today.
Billings is due to appear in Parkes Local Court on June 20.
