Horror of knife frenzy greets father
KATE KYRIACOU AND THOMAS CHAMBERLIN home for travellers looking to earn cash picking fruit or toiling in fields of sugar cane.
Ayad, a 29-year-old kickboxer, had been quiet in recent days. He’d apparently been saying strange things. Much of it had been lost on his fellow backpackers. His English was not great.
But he’d mentioned his dorm mate, 21-year-old Mia, a lot. She was an English girl. Model-beautiful, vivacious and friendly. Like many visitors to Home Hill, a tiny town 100km south of Townsville, Mia was doing a 90-day farm work stint. It would enable her to extend her visa and return to Surfers Paradise, to her friends and the glitzy nightclub where she’d been working as a waitress.
On Tuesday night, Ayad logged on to his Facebook account and posted in French.
“I am the victim of an international economic conspiracy,” he wrote. “I think I will die. Whoever loves me, please follow me. I love you all.”
Then, allegedly taking a paring knife from the hostel’s kitchen, he dragged Mia on to the balcony and began stabbing her. He screamed “Allahu Akbar” as terrified backpackers jumped from their beds.
Caretaker Grant Scholz was stabbed in the leg and Mia, terribly injured, ran for the bathroom as Ayad reportedly swan-dived from the balcony, landing on his back.
Backpackers would film what followed: Ayad allegedly chasing the hostel’s pet german shepherd, Atari, around the yard, stabbing the 10-year-old dog until it died.
English traveller and freelance journalist Tom Jackson had run after Mia when she’d fled into the bathroom.
Her blood was everywhere and he and another backpacker, Dan Richards, tried to help her.
It was then that Ayad allegedly returned, still clutching his knife. Police will claim he ignored Dan and turned on Tom, stabbing him in the eye, head and torso.
“They were both cornered with Mia,” hostel manager John Norris said.
Mia was dead by the time help arrived. Tom was taken to hospital in a critical condition, his horrific injuries so extensive he will be lucky to survive.
The hostel, only hours before the scene of happy gatherings of travellers, was soon a crime scene.
Ayad was arrested and taken to hospital. Police have accused him of attacking 12 officers as they attempted to se-
cure him in the Townsville watch house. His matter was heard – without him – in the Magistrates Court yesterday.
Ayad has been charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder, serious animal cruelty and 12 counts of assault police.
Counter terrorism officers have been and gone from the north Queensland town.
The words “Allahu Akbar” – shouted by a man who has since undergone a psychiatric assessment – brought cries of terrorism from some within hours of Mia’s death.
But police maintain they have found nothing in the Frenchman’s background to explain the actions of that night.
Mia’s family is understood to be making plans to travel to Australia.