‘He was an absolute delight’: Principal’s shocking letter

In the wake of Lilie James’ brutal alleged murder, a former St Andrew’s Cathedral School head was slammed for characterising Paul Thijssen as “not a monster” but instead a “fine student, a prefect, a role model”.

Former St Andrew’s Cathedral School principal, John Collier, has been slammed for a statement that characterised Lilie James’ alleged murderer, Paul Thijssen, as “an absolute delight” and “a fine student”.

The statement was released as part of a newsletter to students and parents at Shore School in North Sydney, where Collier is now headmaster.

“What is chilling about the tragedy which unfolded at St Andrew’s, the shock and grief of which will cascade for a long time, is that the young man concerned was, in everybody’s estimation, an absolute delight,” he wrote in the letter, which was titled, Looking in the Face of Savagery.

“He was not a monster; rather in the last five hours of his life, he committed a monstrous act which was in complete contradiction to what everyone who knew him observed in the rest of his short life,” he wrote.

Collier was principal at the elite Sydney CBD school between 2010 and 2022, and knew Thijssen as both a student of the school and later a staff member.

On October 25, just after midnight, the body of 21-year-old Ms James was found in a bathroom near the gym on St Andrew’s campus.

According to CCTV footage, Ms James and Thijssen, who were both sport coaches at the school, met in the gym building in the late evening, when a fight broke out.

Video footage shows Thijssen following Ms James into the bathroom. An hour later he emerged alone.

The pair had been dating for five weeks and it’s understood that in the days before her death, Ms James broke off the relationship.

RELATED: Lilie James’ grandmother speaks out after tragedy

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Lilie James studied at UTS before becoming a water polo coach at St Andrews Cathedral School in Sydney. Photo: Facebook

Shore principal writes Paul Thijssen was just like the rest of us

The Shore headmaster went on to say that Thijssen “appeared to be just like the best of us”.

“An hour before he committed the atrocity, he was speaking in a relaxed, friendly mode with staff at the school.

“What led to his mental disintegration? Was it a psychotic episode which was deeply out of character?”

Since the letter was published by the ABC on Saturday, Collier and the school have copped backlash, with many saying the newsletter attempted to “explain away” Thijssen’s horrific alleged crime.

Police sources said Ms James suffered horrific injuries in the attack. Picture: Facebook

Shore School responds to controversy

A representative from Shore School responded to the backlash, saying the school “understands the pain and suffering this incident has caused, and our heartfelt sympathy remains with all those affected”.

Police believe that Thijssen used a hammer to kill Ms James, then drove to Vaucluse and called police to inform them there was a body on the school campus.

Thijssen’s body was found at the base of the cliffs two days after Lilie’s death.

An investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ms James’ death is ongoing.

Paul Thijssen's body was found at the base of the cliffs at Vaucluse. Photo: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Originally published as ‘He was an absolute delight’: Principal’s shocking letter