Lilie James inquest showed CCTV of her talking to killer moments before attack

ABC NEWS (Australia)

CCTV played at an inquest shows Lilie James talking to her killer moments before her brutal death. Counsel assisting Jennifer Single said the footage was "not easy to watch". Ms James's parents were present at the inquest which is set to continue over the next few days.

Transcript

00:00Holding hands, before the last moments of their daughter's life were played in court.

00:08Lily James's body was found in a bathroom at Sydney St Andrew's Cathedral School in

00:13October 2023. CCTV footage shows Paul Tyson waiting for

00:18Miss James after school, practising the attack hours before it happened.

00:23Moments before he followed her into the bathroom, Miss James is seen talking to Tyson.

00:28Lily was smiling and interacting with Paul. There was no indication of what he was going

00:33to do. Counsel assistant Jennifer Singal told the

00:36inquest. The court heard Tyson dealt over 25 hammer

00:40blows to his victim, rendering her body unrecognisable. After staying at the scene for over an hour,

00:47he texted her father from her phone. Don't ask why I'll call. Please come to the

00:52school now and pick me up. Are you OK? All good, just came trouble. Can you pick

00:58up the phone please? Where are you? I'm here. Tyson called 000 to try to have her body

01:03discovered before students found it, but told the operator he didn't know who it was.

01:09The court was told there was no clear signs Tyson had a mental disorder, rather he formed

01:13a hatred of Miss James because she had rejected him and punished her by killing her, according

01:19to forensic psychiatrist Dr Danny Sullivan. The court heard Tyson had a pattern of coercive

01:24control and while Miss James told friends she was weirded out by his behaviour, she

01:29would not have seen the red flags until it was too late.

01:33The inquest is set to resume tomorrow.

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