Paul Thijssen can be seen waiting with a hammer in his hand before entering a bathroom at St Andrew’s Cathedral School and killing the popular sports coach.
Paul Thijssen can be seen waiting with a hammer in his hand before entering a bathroom at St Andrew’s Cathedral School and killing the popular sports coach.
By Jordan Baker
March 19, 2025 — 10.23am
An inquest has been shown video footage of the last minutes of Lilie James’ life which captured her killer patiently waiting outside a bathroom door with a hammer in his hand before he strode inside and murdered her.
The footage shows James, a sports coach, arriving back at St Andrew’s Cathedral School after accompanying students to a water polo match. There’s a carefree bounce to her gait, and she sees Paul Thijssen and chats to him casually.
“She has,” said Jennifer Single SC, the counsel assisting the NSW Coroner, “no hint of what’s about to happen.”
She walks to the staffroom and grabs a green bathing suit, into which she must change for her own water polo match. She is wearing trainers and carrying a sports bag. She and Thijssen have a quick chat and then she walks to the bathroom.
She looks over her shoulder at him, briefly, before heading inside. It’s 7.12pm.
Thijssen then walks purposefully towards the bathroom, a backpack on his back, wearing tracksuit pants and a New England Patriots hoodie. He stands outside the bathroom holding the hammer in his right hand, listening to what she’s doing.
Standing less than a metre from the door, Thijssen looks down at the hammer. His back straight, he glances towards the CCTV camera. His chest rises as he takes a deep breath.
Then, abruptly, at 7.14, he lunges towards the bathroom and opens the door.
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“No matter how many times you view that footage, it’s not easy to watch,” said Single.
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“Your honour may have noticed how Lilie was smiling and interacting with Paul. There was little or no indication as to what he was going to do.”
Single’s voice broke before she asked for a moment and the inquest rose for a break.
Thjissen stayed in the bathroom for one hour and 12 minutes after the killing. James’ body was found later that evening of October 25, 2023.
James’ parents stayed in the court as the footage of her final moments was played.
An hour before Thjissen killed James, he took the hammer he intended to use and practiced bursting into the bathroom with it in his hand. He did it twice, rehearsing with different hands, the inquest heard.
His actions were recorded on CCTV. At one point, he looked up at the camera. He lied to obtain a key to lock the sliding doors, with Single suggesting he was trying to ensure that cleaners did not enter the area in which he intended to kill her.
Each time he walked to the bathroom where he would kill James, he passed a row of children’s school bags.
He went to the car park where she usually left her car to check that she hadn’t left already. He had been preparing calmly, but began rushing his movements as her arrival back on the school bus neared.
Students said they’d been discussing their favourite music with James on the bus that afternoon.
Thijssen took his own life later that night.
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Jordan Baker is Chief Reporter of The Sydney Morning Herald. She was previously Education Editor.Connect via Twitter or email.
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