Trigger warning: This post contains details of murder and intimate partner violence
An inquest into the murder of Lilie James has unveiled disturbing new facts about her death and the life of her killer. Twenty three-year-old Dutch national, Paul Thijssen had thoroughly rehearsed the murder, the court was told, including stalking Ms James, enacting “dry runs” of his plan, and practicing “lunging” into the gymnasium bathroom where he would eventually kill her.
Ms James, a 21-year-old water Polo Coach from Sydney, was found with serious head injuries in the gymnasium bathroom of St Andrews Cathedral School in October 2023. Police swiftly began a manhunt for her suspected killer, culminating in the discovery of his body at the bottom of cliffs in Sydney’s north.
James and Thijssen had been in a brief relationship, which ended only days before her death.
Now, an inquest has found her killing was “calculated”, with Thijssen rehearsing his plan in the days prior. “The preparation was calculated. It was not a momentary loss of control. It was a premeditated killing,” NSW coroner’s assisting council, Jennifer Single SC, told the inquest. “The evidence indicates that Paul stalked Lilie, Paul carefully planned his attack, and that in the hours before the attack, he rehearsed the attack, making a number of dry runs,” Single added.
Even after conducting these “dry runs”, the inquest heard he had accompanied Ms James and colleagues to shop for Halloween outfits, acting completely normal.
In the five days leading up to her death, GoGet data found that Thijssen had driven and sat at Ms James’ house “several times”, taking photos of the area, including her family’s cars and noting down who owned them.
Thijssen, who also worked at St Andrews, had bought the items used to kill Ms James, at a Mitre 10 on a work break. The night before her murder, he also visited Diamond Reserve in Vaucluse, where he would eventually take his life after murdering Ms James.
The Day Of Lilie James’ Murder
On the day of Lilie James’ murder, CCTV footage at St Andrews caught Thijssen going to the gym three times to rehearse how he would murder Ms James. The “chilling and disturbing” footage shown to the inquest showed how Thijssen lunged at two bathroom doors, seemingly testing his attack. He reportedly tried different angles and positions.
He then placed a “cleaning in progress” sign in front of one of the bathrooms so James was “forced” into his planned area. “Paul had at this stage decided to attack Lilie in bathroom one”, Single said.
Meanwhile, Thijssen and James’ colleagues reported no real change in Thijssen that day, who acted normally apart from being upset by some sport scores. However, one colleague had witnessed an interaction between Thijssen and James, in which she was crying and he stared at her “very intently” with an expression described as “ice cold and angry”. “I remember feeling scared at the time, I remember thinking his demeanour was unusual … I still regret not persisting with it to this day,” the colleague said.
Paul Thijssen’s History Of Abuse
Another disturbing fact which emerged during the inquiry was that Thijssen had a history of abusive behaviour, having spied on and stalked a former girlfriend, who said she had felt suffocated and controlled by him. He had watched her outside her house, similar to Ms James’, and her family had threatened him with an apprehended violence order.
The inquest also heard, he’d been speaking with another woman during his casual relationship with Ms James, and had even bought her flowers. The woman had no knowledge of Ms James.
Thijssen was from the Netherlands and was living and working in Australia. His parents did not attend the inquest but provided statements to assist the inquiry.
Among his background, the court heard Thijssen had forged his Australian working visa application, and lied about doing a masters in teaching. He had also fabricated a Snapchat profile, inventing a story about another woman who was stalking him.
The court also heard that Thijssen had once shared a private photo of Ms James without her consent, which Single confirmed constituted image-based sexual abuse.
