Paul Thijssen “rehearsed” attacking his ex-girlfriend Lilie James with a hammer in a school bathroom just hours before killing her, according to new information revealed during an inquest into the water polo coach’s October 2023 death.
Thijssen, 23, ultimately jumped out of a stall in the same bathroom at St. Andrew’s Cathedral School and attacked James, 21, with a hammer before fleeing the scene. Later, he jumped off a cliff, killing himself, Australian authorities believe.
New details have emerged in the inquest into the presumed murder-suicide, revealing Thijssen’s troubling actions in the days between James ending their casual relationship and the murder.
Jennifer Single, an assistant counsel to the coroner, told the inquest that Thijssen’s practicing the murder — which was captured on CCTV footage — showed it was “carefully planned,” “rehearsed” and “premeditated,” according to The Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and local 9News.
The inquest also revealed that Thijssen drove to James’ house and sat outside on seven occasions, taking detailed notes about the cars visiting James’ home and who owned them, according to the Herald.
According to the inquest, authorities discovered that Thijssen purchased a hammer at a local hardware store in the week between the time James ended the relationship and the murder.
“The evidence indicates that Paul stalked Lilie, Paul carefully planned his attack, and in the hours before the attack, he rehearsed his attack, making a number of dry runs,” Single told the inquest, according to ABC.
Thijssen later drove to the Diamond Bay Reserve in Vaucluse and jumped off the cliffs, killing himself, authorities say. His body was recovered off the cliffs below two days later, according to 9News.
Paul Thijssen.
Single told the inquest that one ex-girlfriend described Thijssen as “suffocating” and said he demanded she share her iPhone location with him early on in their relationship, ABC reported.
After James ended their casual relationship, Thijssen allegedly became paranoid about the prospect of James spending time with her ex-boyfriend, Single told the inquest, according to the Herald.
Lilie James.
Lilie James/Facebook
Once Thijssen learned James saw her ex-boyfriend at a party the weekend before her death, “the evidence indicates that Paul started exhibiting extremely concerning behavior,” Single said, according to the Herald.
“We will never know when Paul decided he was going to kill Lilie, or himself, however his behavior from the Saturday forms a course of conduct that culminated in the homicide,” Single said, according to the newspaper.
The inquest will continue this week and will also include testimony from forensic medical experts, 9News reported.
