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No radicalisation in Australian hostel killing

A 30-year-old British man was in critical condition in hospital after the attack late on Tuesday in Queensland state, south of the tropical city of Townsville.

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Twenty-one year-old Mia, from Wirksworth was at the Shelley’s Backpackers hostel in Home Hill, Queensland, when the incident took place at 11.15pm local time last night.

Police said they are no longer looking for anyone in connection with the incident.

A 21-year-old woman from Britain was stabbed and killed during a knife attack at an Australian hostel.

We will provide updates as they come available. A local man, 47, who intervened suffered non life-threatening injuries and a dog at the hostel was fatally wounded.

Jamison Stead, 23, who had a relationship with Ayliffe-Chung in Australia, remembered her as a “beautiful soul”.

“She joined our school in Year 9 and flourished here both in making strong friendships and in achieving high level GCSEs”.

The suspect, Smail Ayad, was allegedly screaming “Allahu Akbar” as he stabbed Chung to death according to The Herald Sun. She had a deep affection for Australia.

“Today I lost a best friend”.

Tommy Martin (24), from Newbury, Berkshire, who met Ms Ayliffe-Chung in Bali before reuniting on the Gold Coast, said: “She was a free spirit who didn’t have any set plans, but that’s the way she loved it. Investigators will also consider whether mental health or drugs misuse factors are involved in this incident”, Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said.

“She was a handsome girl who had her whole life ahead of her and we spoke of what the future may hold in store for her and what she wanted to do”, he said in an e-mail.

“I can’t get you out of my head Tom- please be ok buddy”.

The fact that the suspect shouted the phrase “Allahu Akbar” – which means God is Greatest in Arabic – had been confirmed as officers were wearing body-worn video cameras. “Truly devastated, more just disbelief that this has happened”.

He said: “She had lots of friends here – she would always make a point of stopping for a chat”.

“She was a attractive girl who had her whole life ahead of her and we spoke of what the future may hold in store for her and what she wanted to do”, he continued.

“I can recall when she was just coming up to GCSEs and being keen to go to college”. She told the Press Association: “Mia was honestly the most bubbliest and most caring girl I knew”.

Mr Jackson’s parents declined to speak at their home in Congleton, Cheshire.

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“I can tell you the scene that confronted police was awful. there was a lot of blood, there were two persons, one was deceased and one was certainly in a very bad way”, District Superintendent Ray Rohweder told the Townsville Bulletin.

Smail Ayad