A 30-year-old Briton, Tom Jackson, who was critically injured in the attack, tried to save Miss Ayliffe-Chung after she was stabbed, police said.
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Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 21, was stabbed to death at a hostel in the Home Hill area of Queensland on Tuesday night.
Smail Ayad has been charged with one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, one count of serious animal cruelty and 12 counts of serious assault.
The man accused of murdering British backpacker Mia Ayliffe-Chung in an Australian hostel has missed a court appearance after “causing a disturbance”.
The alleged killer of a 21-year-old British backpacker in Australia may have been obsessed with her and launched his attack after taking cannabis, police have said.
A dog which lived at the hostel was also stabbed to death and the hostel owner was attacked but survived.
Police deemed him too aggressive to appear in Townsville Magistrates Court on Friday where his case was adjourned until October 28.
Mr Norris said that Mr Ayad, a former kickboxer, showed no sign of Islamic extremism. Not only was she kind and amusing, she was clever, sassy with a sense of fun.
Ayliffe-Chung’s mother paid tribute to her from England, describing her as an “amazing, adventurous and sassy” daughter.
The Australian sales rep told the Press Association: “We met towards the end of April through friends in Surfers (Paradise)”.
“Once again, I want to reaffirm there has been no indication whatsoever that any radicalisation or political motives existed to attack the people he did”, Rohweder said.
The incident took place in the small town of Home Hill, about 60 miles south-east of Townsville in the north of Queensland.
Officers also said the possibility that Ayad had an unrequited romantic interest or an “obsession” with Miss Ayliffe-Chung was a line of inquiry.
Extra police are expected to travel from Brisbane to assist with the investigation, with at least 30 witnesses who were at the hostel needing to be interviewed.
Police said they found a “terrible scene” when they arrived at the scene of the knife attack in Home Hill, north Queensland. Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident and there was no wider threat to the community.
“She always had a smile on her face, so innocent and full of life and love”.
“Everyone at the school is shocked and saddened at the news that Mia has lost her life in the most tragic of circumstances, ” it said. It’s sad knowing that she won’t be able to do those things.
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However, police claim he was also violent last night as two detectives transported him from Townsville Hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries, back to custody.
