Hundreds gather to celebrate the life of murdered teacher Lilie James
Hundreds of mourners have gathered in Sydney’s CBD to celebrate the life of murdered school coach Lilie James in one final moving gesture.
Hundreds have gathered in Sydney’s CBD this morning to honour the life of slain teacher Lilie James.
The 21-year-old was found brutally murdered inside the gym bathroom at the elite St Andrew’s Cathedral school on October 26.
At the time, police revealed she had sustained “major head injuries”, with it later being reported that she had been beaten to death with a hammer.
Students, staff and friends of the school community gathered to remember the beloved water polo instructor this morning at St Andrew’s Cathedral, which sits just opposite the school and is closed for the day.
A more intimate memorial service for family and friends was held at Hurstville’s Danebank Anglican School for Girls in Sydney’s south, where Lilie graduated from in 2020.
This funeral service was live-streamed to hundreds at St Andrew’s Cathedral.
A colourful sea of staff, students and loved ones flooded into the church to pay their respects and celebrate Lilie’s life
While students donned their school uniform, others wore bright colours in vivid hues of yellow, orange, blue, pink and green.
Many donned colourful floral dresses and bright shoes, while some of the men wore colourful ties.
One staff member told news.com.au that this was one of the ways that they were honouring her life.
“I think the vibrant colours are perfect to honour the spirit of a young person,” they said.
“She was always so happy and full of life. We will miss her greatly.”
The service went for just an over an hour, with emotional scenes spilling out onto the front of the cathedral when it was over.
Many teary-eyed students embraced each other for support, while others chose to sit by themselves, their head buried in their hands in sadness.
Parents and teachers hugged each other and passed around tissues, while also comforting their crying younger children after the funeral.
While the day started out cold and overcast, the clouds began to dissipate and the sun was shining through, just as the ceremony was coming to a close.
“Lilie was the most beautiful person, a true ray of sunshine,” one teacher smiled, through tears.
“You can see that today, her spirit is here. Look at that sun, it’s beautiful.”
Others told news.com.au that they were still in shock from the unimaginable events that had occurred.
“I’m still shocked,” one parent said.
“It is hard to believe that this could happen. It is horrific.”
Lilie’s father, Jamie James, shared a brief statement after the funeral in Hurstville, which he said was a celebration of her life.
“This day is all about her,” he said.
“She was an independent, vibrant young woman who was always on the go and lived each day to the fullest.
“On top of working and studying Lilie loved coaching and playing water polo. She loved to dance.
“Even with her busy schedule, she always still made time to support her brother Max, her friends and her family.
“We cannot thank the community enough for their thoughts, prayers, generosity and messages through this difficult time.
“From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for the many great memories we all share with Lilie.
“Lilie James we are so proud of you and thank you for sharing a wonderful and jam-packed 21 and a half years together.”
Lilie had just ended a five-week relationship with her colleague Paul Thijssen, 24, before she was murdered.
His body was later discovered on the rocks beneath Diamond Bay Reserve in Vaucluse, a notorious local suicide spot.
The Dutch national is understood to have sent a text to Ms James’ dad from her phone after she was killed, where he pretended to be Lilie asking to be picked up.
Police stated that they believed the murder was premeditated and calculated, not an impulsive act.
Thijssen was captured on CCTV on the morning of the murder purchasing a hammer at a hardware store in the city’s east, close to his Kensington home, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Police believe he armed himself with two hammers, one of which may have come from a school store room.
It is understood the hammer purchased is not the one that was used to kill Ms James.
Thijssen also rented a car the day of the murder and drove it to work at the school.
Two hours after beating Ms James to death, he was seen on security cameras at Vaucluse – about 12km away from the school.
He was seen walking along the footpath, towards a bin where police alleged he dumped the suspected murder weapon.
He then called triple-zero to inform authorities there was a body at the school, after already having texted Lilie’s father pretending to be her.
Police traced the triple-zero call to The Gap where they found an abandoned backpack with some of Thijssen’s belongings.
Police later retrieved a body, later revealed to be Thijssen’s, from rocks at the base of a cliff at Diamond Bay Reserve, three kilometres down the road.
Head of School at St Andrew’s, Julie McGonigle, said at the time that the events had left the school community in a state of shock and confusion.
“We are left with grief, shock and utter confusion – because both parties were known to our school,” Dr McGonigle said in an assembly, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
“Our beautiful Ms James, a ray of light, and Mr Thijssen, whose actions are completely incongruent with who we knew.
The school has since revealed that the bathroom where the murder took place will be demolished.
Ms James’ family said they were “devastated and heartbroken by the loss of our beautiful Lilie James”.
“She was vibrant, outgoing, and very much loved by her family and friends,” they said in a statement.
“We are tremendously grateful for the support of our community at this difficult time.”
James’s grandmother Barbara Adelt said she was “her mum’s daughter”.
“Look, Lilie, they are all turning out for you. She’d love that, she would,” she told 2GB.
“Some people come into the world, I think, they are so special, and they don’t stay long. Now, I think that was my granddaughter.
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“She was so kind to everybody else. She was the most loyal person. Very loyal. She’s her mum’s daughter.
“She was so full of life. She never stopped. She went to university, she worked four and a half days a week, she coached swimming, she coached water polo.
“We just can’t understand why this would happen to her.”
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