What’s a man got to do to be refused bail?

Another alleged DV murder. Another alleged ex out on bail. When do the words “bail fail” actually resonate as more than a headline, a catch phrase, a trigger for promises of inquiries and reviews about how this has happened again?

Mr Manly's legal fight took 10 years of his life and ended up in Australia's highest court. Picture: ThinkStock

Seriously, what’s a bloke got to do to be refused bail?

Allegedly rape his ex three times? Apparently not.

Or does it take allegations that he threatened her? Stalked her? Intimidated her? harnmed her dog? Apparently not.

At what point does the judicial system which frees these alleged offenders on bail to continue their reigns of terror become accountable?

When do the words “bail fail” actually resonate as more than a headline, a catch phrase, a trigger for promises of inquiries and reviews about how this has happened again? And again. And again.

As social media lathered itself into a frenzy on Monday over a breastfeeding woman asked to leave a Melbourne comedy gig because her baby was making too much noise, in Forbes news was spreading that the body of Molly Ticehurst had been found by police doing a welfare check.

Her ex had allegedly breached an AVO to return to the small town he was banned from visiting to allegedly kill her. It was April 21 – just 15 days since Daniel Billings had been granted bail on charges he violently and sexually attacked her multiple times.

Molly Ticehurst’s body was discovered early on Monday. Picture: Supplied

The cops refused Billings bail on April 5.

On April 6 a bail court hearing in Dubbo released him.

The ripple effect of that decision has destroyed lives, left a community reeling and has us asking “how did we get here again?”

So ban me from the sisterhood if I can’t get upset about a women being asked to take a crying baby out of a comedy gig. I don’t have the energy, or the bandwidth.

It’s too exhausting to mount anger over that when, according to White Ribbon, 25 women in Australia have been killed this year, allegedly at the hands of partners or exes.

We’re just over 16 weeks into 2024.

That’s one woman every four-and-a-half days.

Every FOUR-AND-A-HALF DAYS.

I can’t bring myself to roll out any more stats – we’ve heard them, ad nauseam, every time this happens.

I can’t bring myself to get on my hind legs about misogyny and AVOs. And spare me the promises of inquiries and investigations and more funding and the drivel about #mentoo.

Kelly Wilkinson was set alight and killed by her estranged husband. Picture: Facebook

Just stop.

Stop having the conversations about how and what went wrong, and shades of grey, and how AVOs are the best tool we have, and how they’re not always broken, and all the other things said about domestic violence and the administration of justice.

In a year when Qld police have admitted they failed to protect Gold Coast mum Kelly Wilkinson, who was set alight and killed by her husband, but they are refusing to reveal the outcome of internal reviews.

Just stop.

In the weeks leading up to her death, Wilkinson’s family say she called or visited police every day. She knew she and her kids weren’t safe. Days before she was burned alive, she visited two police stations after the first visit fell, again, on deaf ears.

Just stop.

Hannah McGuire’s ex was on bail for unrelated offences at the time of her alleged murder. Picture: Facebook

In Melbourne in April, a desperate Hannah McGuire apparently begged authorities to help, expressing her fears for her personal safety.

Less than 48 hours after it was approved, she was dead. The body of the teacher’s aide was found in a burnt-out car near Ballarat on April 5.

Her ex-boyfriend, 21-year-old Lachlan Young, has been charged with her murder and has been remanded in custody. He is yet to enter a plea.

He was on bail for unrelated assault and burglary charges at the time of the alleged murder.

It needs to stop.

Let’s do the one thing, today, that can instantly change the conversation.

Stop giving blokes in these circumstances bail. Until you find a better way to stop 25 men allegedly killing 25 partners or exes, just stop.

It might be simplistic. It might be brutal. It might be shortsighted.

It also might mean we wait more than four-and-a-half days for victim number 26.