A man has been charged after staff were allegedly threatened at a private school in Sydney’s CBD where water polo coach Lilie James was murdered in October 2023.
St Andrew’s Cathedral School went into lockdown on Monday, with police arriving at the campus which is located next to Sydney Town Hall at 9.45am.
Officers were called in after reports came through that “a man had earlier threatened staff and since returned to the campus”.
“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,” a NSW Police statement said.
However, the lockdown was lifted for staff and students after police were unable to find the man around the campus despite an extensive search.
Police were later called to a hotel in nearby Surry Hills after being alerted to “a 46-year-old man acting erratically and refusing to leave the premises”.
“Police attended and arrested him. Following inquiries, police identified the man as being wanted in relation to the earlier incident at the school,” police said.
“He was taken to Surry Hills police station where inquiries are continuing.”
Police later confirmed the 46-year-old man was charged with three offences including enter enclosed lands without lawful excuse, intimidate – intend fear physical etc harm and goods in custody. He was refused bail to appear at court on Tuesday.
The school was at the centre of a shocking crime on the night of October 25, 2023, when Ms James was murdered by Paul Thijssen.
Ms James had just ended a five-week relationship with Thijssen before he bashed her to death with a hammer in a bathroom at the school.
They had worked together at the school as sports coaches.
Following the murder, Thijssen is understood to have driven to Vaucluse, in Sydney’s east, where he dumped the weapon and made a Triple-0 call notifying emergency services about where to find her body.
He then jumped to his death from a cliff at Diamond Bay.
