NO INQUEST FOR STABBING
No backpacker inquest as knife man found unfit
THERE will be no inquest into the deaths of two British backpackers killed by Frenchman Smail Ayad at a hostel in Home Hill in August 2016, a coroner has ruled.
Ayad, then 29, took Mia Ayliffe-chung, 20, from her bed and stabbed her to death and then critically injured Tom Jackson, 30, who came to her aid. Mr Jackson later died in hospital, with a stab wound to his brain.
Ayad, who is still in a Queensland mental health institution, will never face trial after being found of “unsound mind”.
A BRITISH backpacker feared for her safety before she was fatally stabbed in a 10-second long frenzied attack at a hostel in Home Hill in 2016, a coroner’s investigation has revealed. However an inquest will not be held.
The deaths of British backpackers Mia Ayliffe-chung and Thomas Jackson at the hands of “psychotic individual” Smail Ayad rocked Home Hill to its core.
Now the Northern Coroner has released the findings of an investigation into the event on August 23, 2016 at Shelly’s Backpackers but said an inquest would not go ahead.
The report of findings revealed 20year-old Mia died at the scene from a stab wound to the heart while Thomas, 30, died from a stab wound to his head.
Ayad, who is still in a Queensland mental health institution, will never face trial after being found of “unsound mind”.
He was initially charged with 17 offences including the murder of Mia and Thomas and the attempted murder of a night manager.
Coroner Nerida Wilson said an inquest “will not yield further meaningful information that will assist me to either arrive at a different conclusion, or to make recommendations to prevent similar deaths from happening in the future”.
The request for a coroner’s inquest was made through joint correspondence from Mia’s mother Rosie Ayliffe and Thomas’ father Les Jackson who raised multiple concerns including that Mia, who was staying the e same room as Ayad, requested to switch rooms and the financial exploitation of backpackers with claims that Thomas’ passport was being held by the hostel at the time, e, preventing him from leaving. g.
Ayad had been residing at t the hostel prior to Mia’s arrival where staff described him as respectful, nice and d happy with only one incident t before August 23, on August 16 where police were called to an incident involving Ayad after an argument over a suspected stolen jumper.
However changes in Ayad’s behaviour aligned with when Mia arrived. He requested that she and the backpacker she was travelling with not be put in his room.
Ms Wilson raised concerns that while house rules were “sufficiently broad” they did not cover the likes of sexual harassment and moving Mia out of the room would have provided a safety net for her.
“I am of the view that unless a female has requested to sleep in mixed dormitories or bedrooms, best practice would be served by placing women with other women,” Ms Wilson said.
“Such high density sharing arrangements are already fraught, even without the added layer of vulnerability a woman may experience being accommodated with males not known to her.
“In Mia’s case she was placed in a room with only two other males, one of whom was a stranger to her, had previously been involved in a confrontation with two other guests (which re regardless of the circumstances st would still have co constituted a breach of the house h rules), and had also put pu management on prior notice n of his unwillingness n to share the room with w others.”
Coroner Wilson found other ot backpackers said that th Ayad had referred to Ms M Ayliffe-chung as his wif wife and had a “focus” on her. Coroner Wilson said she accepted the concern raised by Mia’s mother “is a significant one”.
“Its significance lies in the possibility that had Mia requested to be moved rooms, and had such request been granted, it would have removed her from Ayad’s immediate proximity.”
Report findings revealed Ayad had confided in another backpacker that “something will happen tonight”.
“… I want to tell you something. Something will happen tonight. I feel like everybody wants bad things for me,” the report detailed.
“These shocking and unforeseen deaths occurred at the hands of a psychotic individual under the influence of cannabis,” Coroner Wilson wrote.
“Both Mr Thomas Leslie Jackson and Mr Daniel Leigh Richards exhibited extraordinary bravery and compassion remaining with Mia rendering assistance while their own safety was still at risk.
“Thomas sustained fatal injuries during those efforts.
“I express my sincerest condolences to both Mia and Thomas’ parents, family, and friends for their tragic loss.”