Death probe into the brutal murder of beloved young water polo coach and the evil ex who killed her – and if he took coward’s way out to dodge justice

An inquest into the deaths of murdered water polo coach Lilie James and her ex-boyfriend is set to start on Tuesday, almost 18 months after their bodies were found.

The three-day hearing at Lidcombe in western Sydney is expected to investigate the circumstances leading to both deaths and be presided over by State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan. 

Ms James was found dead inside a gymnasium bathroom at St Andrew’s Cathedral School in the Sydney CBD on October 25, 2023.

The 21-year-old’s body was discovered after her father James received a text from her phone, asking to be picked up from the school late at night.

Police were alerted, and a school staffer let officers into the building at Town Hall Square, where Lilie’s ‘unrecognisable’ body was located with serious head injuries.

Homicide detectives launched an immediate search for 24-year-old hockey coach Paul Thijssen, who had been in a brief, failed relationship with Ms James.

The couple had arranged to meet for a final exchange of belongings on the night Ms James died.

As Ms James’s identity was confirmed, police scoured the coastline at Diamond Bay, Vaucluse for Thijssen and conducted line searches on the cliff above. 

Around 5pm that afternoon, they found Thijssen’s backpack containing a hammer in a rubbish bin on the cliffside street above the bay.

On the morning of Friday, October 27,  tradesman working on a clifftop walkway spotted a body wedged in rocks and being battered by the surf below.

Police divers managed to recover the bloated body, and after a tricky operation hampered by rough weather conditions, it was retrieved around midday and later and identified as Thijssen.

It later emerged that Thijssen and Ms James had been dating for just five weeks when she broke things off.

The inquest is expected to look into whether Thijssen’s death was intentionally self-inflicted and if it could have been stopped.

It is also likely to study the role of technology in modern  relationships, and also coercive control and the public’s perception of what that means and what it looks like.

Daily Mail Australia previously revealed St Andrew’s Cathedral School would play no official role as an ‘interested party’ at the coronial inquiry. 

Principal Dr Julie McGonigle referred to the upcoming inquest in a Head of School newsletter late last year.

Dr McGonigle wrote that ‘at this stage, the State Coroner does not consider St Andrew’s Cathedral School to have sufficient interest in this matter to be considered an interested party, pursuant to the Coroners Act’.

The school confirmed at the time of Ms James’ death it knew of the relationship after both staff members from its sports department had made them aware of it. 

Relationships were allowed between staff members, providing they followed protocol and notified the school.

In the wake of tragedy, the school made plans to create a permanent reminder of Ms James’ short life in the form of a memorial or award which celebrated her memory. 

The James family said in a statement: ‘We are devastated and heartbroken by the loss of our beautiful Lilie James. 

‘She was vibrant, outgoing and very much loved by her friends and family.’

The school has demolished the gymnasium bathroom where Ms James’ body was found.

It has since created a memorial of a framed wreath made from the ribbons attached to the mountains of flowers left outside the school.

The wreath is on permanent display on the school’s sixth level and ‘quietly displayed at times significant to Lilie’ from time to time in the the foyer.

On the first anniversary of Ms James’ death, students were given black armbands to wear in her memory at sporting events.