Accused Home Hill hostel attacker moved to mental health facility: reports
The French national accused of stabbing two backpackers to death at a Queensland hostel, has reportedly been moved to a mental health facility.
Smail Ayad, 29, is accused of stabbing Mia Ayliffe-Chung multiple times at a hostel in Home Hill, a rural town in north Queensland.
Ayad faces charges relating to the murder of Ms Ayad, 21, and also for the murder of Thomas Jackson, 30.
Mr Jackson suffered 20 horrific stab wounds to his face, head and torso while trying to save the life of Ms Ayliffe-Chung.
Exactly one week after the stabbing attack, police confirmed the 30-year-old had passed away at Townsville Hospital.
It is believed Ayad has since been transferred under heavy guard on a chartered flight from the prison to a secure mental health facility in Brisbane, the Courier Mail has reported.
Sources told the Couier Mail that Ayad had allegedly lashed out, making threats to Townsville Correctional prison guards in hope they might 'retaliate' and kill him.
"He was painful to deal with. Every time he had to be moved it was always a big commotion," a source told the Courier Mail.
"You could see he was preparing for something. Who knows what was going through his mind."
Sources also told the news outlet that guards knew Ayad had told a psychologist he wanted to die.
The French national was previously accused of resisting police violently when he was taken from hospital where he had undergone a psychiatric assessment, with officers using a taser and capsicum spray on him.
Ms Ayliffe-Chung had spent most of the year living at the Surfers Paradise where she worked at The Bedroom nightclub but left in August to spend three months working on North Queensland farms to extend her holiday visa.
She found a room at the Home Hill backpacker hostel where she reportedly met her alleged attacker.
Detective Superintendent Ray Rohweder told AAP that one line of inquiry was whether Ayad had a romantic interest in Ayliffe-Chung, although he stressed that so far there was no indication of a "romantic connection" from her point of view.
Mr Ayad will front court on October 28, but it is unknown whether the matter will be moved to Brisbane.
News break - September 12
