Overview
- Justice Natalie Adams brought forward the two-day sentencing hearing to September 3–4, 2026 at a brief Sydney hearing on Monday to allow the defence expert to give evidence by video.
- Defence forensic psychiatrist Dr Olav Nielssen assessed Daniel Billings on three occasions in 2025–2026 and reported the 31-year-old was affected by a depressive illness at the time of the killing; the defence says that evidence will be used only for sentencing mitigation.
- The Crown says it must review roughly 1,200 pages of medical records after Billings refused to see a prosecution-engaged psychiatrist and expects to produce its own expert report by August 15.
- Defence filings blame prosecutors for delay and argue the defence had no obligation to disclose the psychiatrist’s material earlier while the Crown points to limited forensic psychiatrist availability and the volume of records as causes for the rescheduling.
- Ticehurst’s family continue to press for timely resolution and the case will return to court for a directions hearing on August 7 as the justice process moves toward the September sentencing dates.