The father of Lilie James, a young water polo coach who was bludgeoned to death by her ex-boyfriend, has opened up about the texts her killer sent from his daughter’s phone .
Lillie James, 21, was brutally murdered in October last year by fellow coach Paul Thijssen, 24, at St Andrew’s Cathedral School – where they both worked – in the Sydney CBD.
Ms James’ ‘unrecognisable’ body was found with terrible head injuries in the school’s gym toilets just before midnight after her father, Jamie, received a text from her phone asking to be picked up.
The first message to Mr James read: ‘Don’t ask why or call please come to the school now and pick me up.’
He immediately responded by asking if she was OK and was told: ‘All good just come trouble (sic)’.
The dad-of-two showed the message to his wife, Peta, who told him to leave immediately and pick Lilie up to make sure she was safe.
Water polo coach Ms James, 21, was found dead inside a gymnasium bathroom at St Andrews Cathedral School in the Sydney CBD on October 25 last year
Her parents, Peta and Jamie, have revealed they believe text messages they received from their daughters phone were written and sent by her killer after she brutally murdered
However, Mr James told 60 Minutes on Sunday that ‘it was already too late’ for Lilie.
While Mr James rushed to the school, his wife sent two text messages to Thijssen asking if he knew her daughter’s whereabouts.
‘Hi Paul, it’s Peta James here Lilie’s mum. You wouldn’t know where she is or able to get in contact with her,’ the first message read.
‘Hi Paul any chance you’ve seen Lilie tonight,’ the second message read.
Mrs James never received a response from Thijssen.
CCTV footage captured Thijssen following Ms James into the school gymnasium’s bathroom and then emerging an hour later on his own.
Police believe Ms James was killed shortly after 7pm. Her dad received the texts at about 8.30pm.
‘We know that Lilie passed shortly after seven when she was getting changed to go to water polo, and the monster followed her into the bathroom,’ Mr James said.
60 Minutes reporter Tara Brown asked Mr James why he believes Thijssen sent the text messages.
‘Just shows the character that the person is just, as I say, just an evil, evil monster,’ Mr James said.
‘I think for me, I really think that he was hoping that Jamie would find her,’ added Mrs James.
Hours after Mrs James sent the text messages to Thijssen, her husband returned home with the heart-wrenching news that their daughter was dead.
‘I’ll never forget it,’ Mrs James said.
‘I’ll never forget that one moment in time, [that] realisation that she’ll never walk through that door again, will haunt me for the rest of my life.’
Paul Thijssen, 24, savagely beat Ms James to death with a hammer just three days after she ended their brief relationship, before committing suicide at Vaucluse in eastern Sydney
Ms James’ parents said they would never forgive Thijssen after they discovered the full extent of the brutality he inflicted on their daughter
Mr James also spoke about the heartbreaking moment police told him what had happened to his daughter.
While searching for his daughter, Mr James found her bag and school pass and had briefly stepped into the gym but did not go any further.
All of a sudden, police and ambulance arrived at the school before Mr James was taken to the police station and informed about his daughter’s horrific murder.
‘I had to come home, tell Peta and her brother Max. I felt so bad… I feel like I let her down,’ Mr James said.
The pair said their daughter should have been safe while going to work and that her murder would affect them for ‘the rest of their lives’.
They added they could never forgive Thijssen for killing their daughter, especially after understanding the full extent of the brutality he inflicted.
‘He can rot in hell. Lilie didn’t deserve this at all. At all. Selfish, self-centred, entitled and it’s just wrong,’ Mr James said.
‘I think if you knew what he did that night, I think you’d understand why we can’t forgive what he did. It’s pretty brutal,’ Mrs James added.
Thijssen’s body was spotted by tradies at Vaucluse in the water near Diamond Bay Reserve two days after Ms James’ murder.
CCTV footage showed Thijssen dressed in black arriving at Chris Bang Crescent in Vaucluse at 8.47pm after the murder.
Security cameras also captured him at 9.03pm exiting his silver Lexus and walking along the cliff side footpath.
He was also seen walking towards a bin, which police allege he may have thrown away the hammer he used as a murder weapon.
