Lilie James inquest: CCTV reveals sport’s coach’s last moments before murder

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 killed 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.