The murder of Lilie James, a water polo coach at St Andrew's Cathedral School in Sydney, was not a "loss of control" incident but was meticulously planned and rehearsed by her ex-boyfriend, a coroner's inquest has heard. The case occurred before midnight on October 25, 2023, when James was brutally killed within the school premises. This shocking revelation underscores the premeditated nature of the crime.
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03-19, 2025Lilie James, only 21 years old, ended a brief relationship with her colleague, Paul Thijssen, just days before her death. Thijssen is suspected of taking his own life hours after James's death. An investigation into the deaths revealed that the Dutch-born man had stalked James and previous partners, and fabricated a series of lies about his life in Australia. These lies deceived his friends, roommates, employers, and even the Australian visa authorities through falsified documents.
Assistant lawyer Jennifer Single SC stated that after being dumped by James, Thijssen began stalking her and meticulously planned the murder. He "rehearsed the attack" in the hours leading up to the murder. Single emphasized: "This was not a loss of control, but a premeditated killing, and the means of killing were extremely brutal." Although the causes of death for both individuals have been determined, "the reasons that led Paul to take such action are still unclear."
Single stated, "Understanding what was happening with Paul is crucial to understanding what happened to Lilie." She pointed out that the focus of the investigation is to prevent similar deaths from happening again. The coroner will delve into broader issues, such as coercive control and unacceptable behavior in relationships. New South Wales Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan will consider the role of technology in relationships and how to improve public awareness of identifying destructive behaviors in relationships.
The investigation will particularly focus on relationships between young people, such as the relationship between James and her ex-boyfriend. The coroner will also attempt to determine whether authorities could have intervened at any point before the two deaths. James's parents attended the opening day of the hearing, but they did not retain legal representation. Thijssen's family stated that they have evidence that Paul's life had "gone off the rails," but have not yet provided the information to the coroner. At a memorial service after James's death, her family described her as "vibrant, outgoing, and loved by family and friends." Data from the research group "Counting Dead Women Australia" shows that 64 women died as a result of violence in 2023. Coercive control has been identified as a precursor to 97% of intimate partner domestic violence homicides in New South Wales between 2000 and 2018.
