Another of Ayad’s victims, 30-year-old British man Tom Jackson, is now fighting for his life in Townsville hospital.
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Witnesses reported a 29-year-old man from France called out in Arabic “God is Great” before the attack at the hostel, Shelley’s Backpackers in Home Hill.
“Police have charged a 29-year-old man with one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, one count of serious animal cruelty and twelve counts of serious assault”, Queensland Police said in a statement.
Ayad has been held in custody and will appear at the Townsville Magistrates Court on Friday.
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Chris Porter, from Kent, has been discharged from hospital after reportedly damaging both ankles when he jumped from a second-storey window to flee the knifeman.
The 21-year-old has been named by friends paying tribute online as Mia Ayliffe-Chung, from Derbyshire.
Yesterday afternoon as police transferred Ayad from hospital to the watchhouse, he allegedly bashed two police officers, after they had to pull over on Woolcock St as he was lashing out in the back of the police paddy wagon.
Police were forced to use capsicum spray on Ayad to subdue him and the Bulletin understands it took seven officers to get Ayad into a padded cell, as he continued to scream “Allahu Akbar”.
The younger Mr Jackson was hailed a hero by Queensland Police after the alleged attack for trying to help Ayliffe-Chung.
“From what we have been able to establish at this stage there is absolutely no indication of any form of radicalisation or any political ideology behind this”, he said.
Former boyfriend Jamison Stead remembered her to the BBC as a “beautiful soul” who had “fallen in love with the country and its people”.
Bill Byrne, Queensland’s police minister, described the stabbing attack as “tragic and disturbing” but said it was not “about race or religion”.
Her sister said she had been on travel for about year.
“Not only was she kind and amusing, she was clever, sassy with a sense of fun”, she said in a statement.
Ayliffe-Chung had only arrived in Home Hill a few days before the attack.
“My beloved daughter Mia was an incredible young woman with an adventurous spirit”, she said.
Police will claim he had consumed cannabis prior to allegedly stabbing Ms Ayliffe-Chung to death and critically injuring Mr Jackson, but there was no evidence he had consumed alcohol or other drugs.
“Mia was a girl who lived life as spontaneously as possible”.
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Ayliffe-Chung had been waitressing in the Gold Coast, Queensland, but had recently begun working in the sugar cane harvest to extend her working holiday visa.
