Disturbing video footage reveals a former boyfriend waiting outside a bathroom with a hammer before killing Lilie James.
During a New South Wales inquest, it was revealed that CCTV captured Paul Thijssen in the hours leading up to the attack at a Sydney school, which was described as difficult to watch. Lilie James appeared cheerful just before Thijssen attacked her with a hammer in a school gym bathroom, as the inquest into their deaths heard.
James's body was discovered on October 25, 2023, in a bathroom at St Andrew’s Cathedral School in Sydney after she had attended water polo practice. Police launched a search for 23-year-old Thijssen, who had briefly dated James before her death. His body was later found in the ocean near cliffs in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
The inquest revealed that Thijssen was found unclothed, and James had suffered 25 blunt force injuries to her neck and head, with broken bones and defensive wounds on her hands and arms. There was no evidence of sexual assault. Jennifer Single SC, assisting the New South Wales coroner, described the attack as "overkill," indicating the violence exceeded what was necessary to cause death. The assault was not prolonged.
On the second day of the inquest, chilling footage showed Thijssen meticulously planning the attack, including locking gym doors and rehearsing the assault multiple times. He was seen entering the bathroom with a hammer, first in his right hand and then in his left, as if deciding how to carry out the attack. Single remarked that the footage remains difficult to watch.
Thijssen, who worked at the school as a sports coach and after-hours coordinator, was seen waiting in the gym staffroom for hours before James returned from water polo practice. He checked twice to ensure her car was still in the parking lot and used a master key to lock automatic doors, preventing cleaners from entering the gym during the attack.
James returned from practice at 7:11 p.m., interacting with Thijssen without any indication of his intentions. She was supposed to attend a water polo match that night and had gone to the gym to change. She entered the staffroom and then headed to a bathroom, acknowledging a sign indicating cleaning in one bathroom and choosing another, as Thijssen had planned.
With James in the bathroom, Thijssen retrieved his backpack and approached with a hammer in hand. He stood outside for two minutes, seemingly listening, before entering. He emerged over an hour later, with Single noting the reason for his extended stay was unclear.
During that time, messages were sent from James's phone to her father, asking him to come to the school without questioning. Her father tried to call and message her, receiving no response. A later message claimed everything was fine.
Single suggested Thijssen sent these messages to ensure James's body was found before students arrived the next day, but this contact caused distress to her family as they tried to reach her. Thijssen knew they wouldn't be able to contact her.
CCTV later captured Thijssen leaving the school and heading to a car he had rented. He was seen running for the first time that night, having previously moved calmly between the gym staffroom and the bathroom. Data showed he drove to Diamond Bay Reserve in Vaucluse, where he transferred money to his flatmates for rent.
Thijssen also exchanged messages and photos with a friend, who described him as appearing "blank." At 11:45 p.m., Thijssen called emergency services, reporting a "body" at the school but refusing to give his name, urging someone to check before morning.
Originally from the Netherlands, Thijssen had moved to Australia with his family between 2015 and 2017, becoming a sports captain and prefect at St Andrew’s. He had returned to Australia several times before the attack. The court heard that when another ex-girlfriend tried to end their relationship, Thijssen stalked and intimidated her, hacked her Snapchat, and punched a tree above her head.
The inquest continues.