Man who ‘threatened’ staff has been arrested after St Andrew’s Cathedral School plunged into lockdown

A “disoriented” man who threatened staff at the school where water polo coach Lilie James was murdered has been arrested in a hotel.

A man who had allegedly threatened staff at the school where water polo coach Lilie James was murdered has been arrested.

The school was plunged into lockdown after reports a “disorientated” man had threatened staff.

The man, 46, has now been arrested at a hotel in Surry Hills, after acting erratically and refusing to leave.

At about 12pm, police were called to the hotel and arrested the 46-year-old after he refused to leave the premises.

Police inquiries identified the man as being wanted due to the earlier incident at St Andrews Cathedral School, located in Sydney’s CBD.

The man was taken to Surry Hills police station, where inquiries continue.

The private school was locked down by police on Monday about 9.45am after reports a person had broken into the grounds.

Lilie James was murdered at St Andrew’s Cathedral School. Picture: Facebook

Police confirmed staff had been threatened. Picture: NewsWire / David Swift

It is understood the man is not connected with the school but is one of many homeless people sleeping rough around Town Hall, and had been ranting nonsensically when on St Andrew’s property.

He is expected to be charged by police this evening.

A spokeswoman for the school described the man as having been “disorientated” when he entered the school grounds, and confirmed “that there was no threat of violence” to staff or students.

“We have now established that a disorientated man entered an external area of the Senior School and was off site less than a minute later,” she said.

“The School ... thanks its staff and the NSW Police for their professional and calm response.”

It is understood that the man was sleeping rough in the Sydney CBD. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

Parents were alerted about the lockdown by text message, the Daily Mail reported.

The man allegedly “threatened staff and then returned to the campus”, a police spokesman told NewsWire.

“The school was placed in lockdown and a search of the building, on the corner of Druitt and Kent streets, was conducted with the assistance of specialist resources,” they said.

Despite “extensive searches”, the man could not be located.

He remains on the run, but the lockdown has since been lifted, according to police.

“An investigation is now under way into the incident, and inquiries continue to locate the man,” police said.

A St Andrews Cathedral School spokesman told NewsWire a “disorientated” man entered an external area of the senior school, and was off-site less than a minute later.

“Out of an abundance of caution, a lockdown was instituted immediately, and a full sweep of the building was conducted by the NSW Police,” they said.

“The school can confirm that there was no threat of violence and no one was harmed during the incident, and thanks its staff and the NSW Police for their professional and calm response.”

Ms James was murdered by her former boyfriend. Picture: Facebook

Ms James was murdered by Paul Thijssen on the evening of October 25, 2023, when he cornered her inside a bathroom of the prestigious Sydney private school where they were colleagues.

The water polo coach died due to blunt force trauma to the head after being attacked with a hammer by her ex-partner, whom she had broken up with a few days before her murder.

Hours after the murder, Thijssen took his own life at Vaucluse, with his remains found in the rocks at Diamond Bay Reserve two days after Ms James’s murder.

With Eilidh Sproul-Mellis

Originally published as Man who ‘threatened’ staff has been arrested after St Andrew’s Cathedral School plunged into lockdown