Lilie James was found smiling and cheerful in the moments leading up to her murder by ex-boyfriend Paul Thijssen in a St Andrew’s Cathedral school gymnasium toilet. The incident occurred after water polo training with students on October 25, 2023.

Police initiated a search for Thijssen, who had a brief relationship with James that ended prior to her death. His body was later discovered in the ocean below cliffs in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

During the inquest, chilling footage revealed Thijssen meticulously planning the attack, including locking the gym doors and rehearsing the attack multiple times. He entered the bathroom with a hammer twice, once in each hand, seemingly deciding how to stage the attack.

Thijssen, who worked at the school as a sports coach and after-hours coordinator, waited for hours in the gym staffroom for James to return from training. He used a school master key to lock automatic doors to prevent cleaners from interfering.

Upon her return, James was smiling and interacting with Thijssen. Thijssen placed a sign indicating one of the bathrooms was under cleaning to ensure James entered the bathroom of his choosing. He then picked up his backpack and entered the bathroom with the hammer.

Thijssen had a history of stalking and intimidation. The inquest also heard that when another former girlfriend tried to end their relationship, Thijssen stalked and intimidated her, hacked into her Snapchat account, and punched a tree above her head.

The inquest continues.

For crisis support, Lifeline is available at 13 11 14 in Australia, the National Family Violence Counseling Service is at 1800 737 732, and international helplines can be found on befrienders.org.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/19/lillie-james-murder-inquest-ex-boyfriend-paul-thijssen-cctv-video-footage-hammer-ntwnfb