The ex-boyfriend and suspected murderer of a ‘beloved’ water polo coach is said to have used his role in a school sports department to get her alone on the night of the murder.
Investigators believe Phil Thijssen would have known he would meet Lilie James at St Andrews Catholic School on Wednesday evening when she returned the sports equipment after a coaching session.
The body of Ms James, 21, was discovered just before midnight in a gym bathroom at the elite private school in Sydney’s CBD.
Police suspect Thijssen, 24, beat her to death with a hammer after breaking off their five-week secret relationship.
Just hours after the horrific attack, Thijssen called Triple Zero to report where her body was and had supposedly ended his.
Investigators believe Phil Thijssen knew he would meet Lilie James (pictured) at St Andrews Catholic School on Wednesday evening as she returned sports equipment after a coaching session
Just hours after the horrific attack, Thijssen (pictured) called Triple Zero to report where her body was and is believed to have terminated his own
Thijssen was a hockey coach at the school and was hired to manage equipment returns in the sports department.
Part of Thijssen’s duties was to be at the school when coaches returned from various locations in the city to drop off materials, Daily telegram reports.
Because of this role, Thijssen would have known that he would see Mrs. James on the night of the brutal murder.
Thijssen’s last moments were captured on CCTV as he walked calmly down a street, less than two hours after he allegedly killed Mrs James.
He was seen arriving at Chris Bang Crescent in Vaucluse in his silver Lexus at 8.47pm on Wednesday. About 15 minutes later, security cameras recorded him walking steadily along the sidewalk.
He then threw the hammer he allegedly used to hit Ms James into a rubbish bin before returning to his car.
Thijssen stayed in his car until 9:49 p.m. and then drove to another location nearby, where he waited for two hours before calling the police.
Thijssen is accused of killing Mrs James (pictured) with a hammer on Wednesday evening after breaking off their five-week relationship
Just hours after the attack, Thijssen (pictured) called Triple Zero, who was tracked to The Gap in Sydney’s east, to tell them where they would find Ms James’ body.
His body was found around 8am on Friday when construction workers spotted a body in the water at the foot of a cliff, near the Diamond Bay Reserve, where officers had previously searched for Dutch-born Thijssen.
Authorities worked to retrieve the body from the water on Friday morning, using a Westpac rescue helicopter and a police jet ski.
The man’s body, which appeared naked, battered and bloated, lay among the rocks at the base of the cliff.
The police have now confirmed that the remains are Thijssen’s, after comparing fingerprints with prints from the Dutch embassy.
While authorities tried for hours to remove the body from the harsh conditions, police emerged from Thijssen’s apartment with two bags of evidence.
Daily Mail Australia has been told that Thijssen had been living in the cramped flat since August with his old school friend who works in exercise physiology.
Police faced harsh weather conditions on Friday after a body was found near Diamond Bay, near where Thijssen reportedly plunged to his death.
The body was later identified as that of Thijssen after cross-referencing fingerprints with prints from the Dutch embassy
As the school community mourned the beloved water polo coach, Mrs James’ grieving family broke their silence to pay tribute to their ‘vibrant’ daughter.
“We are devastated and heartbroken by the loss of our beautiful Lilie James,” they said in a statement.
‘She was lively, outgoing and very loved by her friends and family.
“We are extremely grateful for the community’s support during this difficult time.”
A source close to the family told Daily Mail Australia that everyone around Ms James is ‘completely numb’.
“It’s numbing – there are no other words that can describe the pain we are in,” they said.
“Everyone is completely numb.”
Ms James, who studied sports business at the University of Technology, is described as ‘lively, outgoing and much loved by her friends and family’
Ms James studied sports business at the University of Technology and graduated from Danebank Anglican School in 2020, while coaching part-time at St Andrew’s.
Supt Fileman said the circumstances of the death would also be confronting for the students because school staff were involved.
“We are currently working with the school to ensure the wellbeing of the students and they have put measures in place to ensure those students are taken care of,” he said.
Meanwhile, online tributes are pouring in for the talented young dancer, actor and swimmer whose life was tragically cut short.
“There was nothing you couldn’t do, pretty girl. Fly high Lil, we will miss you forever,” said a friend.
“Lilie was the most kind, caring, funny and supportive friend around,” another friend wrote.
‘I could never have imagined that we would lose our friend under these circumstances. Our world is so cruel. Thanks for the memories and the good times Lilie.’
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