Accused backpacker hostel murderer worked alongside victim Tom Jackson before call

EXCLUSIVE: Accused backpacker murderer Smail Ayad made a call about Mia Ayliffe-Chung before she allegedly became his victim.

Backpackers inside Shelley’s Hostel.

EXCLUSIVE

ACCUSED hostel stabbing murderer Smail Ayad worked alongside victim Tom Jackson for a month near Home Hill in Far North Queensland before he began locking himself in his room, a former friend of Ayad said.

Three days before the alleged killing rampage, Ayad made a phone call to fellow French backpacker Edward Moine and said he had feelings for Mia Ayliffe-Chung, who with Tom Jackson was fatally wounded in the attack.

Ayad, 29, also told Mr Moine he was lonely and broke.

Speaking exclusively to news.com.au, Mr Moine, 25, said Ayad had been friendly when the two of them and Mr Jackson all worked at the Camilotto capsicum and melon farms at Gumlu, south of Home Hill.

Smail Ayad worked with Tom Jackson on a farm before he allegedly stabbed Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 21, and Mr Jackson.

French backpacker Edward Moine left Home Hill before the accused killer’s phone call about Ms Ayliffe-Chung. Picture: Candace Sutton

Lonely and broke, Smail Ayad asked his former friend to share his room before Mia Ayliffe-Chung became his roommate.

Accused killer and his alleged victim Tom Jackson worked alongside each other at one of the capsicum farms in Gumlu, 45 minutes south of the Home Hill backpacker hostel. Picture: Candace Sutton

Mr Moine, who comes from Lille in northern France and has been in Australia for eight months, described how he narrowly missed being Ayad’s roommate on the night of the alleged murders.

It was in July that the three young men worked together and lived at Shelley’s Hostel in Home Hill, a month before Ayad allegedly went on a rampage at Shelley’s and, police allege, fatally stabbed 21-year-old Ms Ayliffe-Chung and Mr Jackson, 30.

Mr Moine said it would have been him sharing a room with Ayad on the night of the alleged stabbing murders, if he hadn’t left the town “because it felt like a jail”.

“He asked me to share the room with him,” Mr Moine said, “but I was leaving. Then [Ms Ayliffe-Chung] moved in and he rang me, the Sunday before it happened, and he told me about this girl that he liked.”

Smail Ayad (left) called his friend Edward Moine about his feelings for Mia Ayliffe-Chung (right) three days before he allegedly killed her.

Ayad drank at the Kalamia Hotel in Ayr with other Frenchmen in the weeks leading up to his alleged killing rampage. Picture: Candace Sutton

Forensic police at Shelley’s Hostel after the murders found a bloodied toilet cubicle where Mia Ayliffe-Chung allegedly fled to from the room she shared with French backpacker Smail Ayad. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

For a month, Ayad, Mr Jackson and Mr Moine rose early on winter mornings, caught the same minibus for the 45-minute drive to the farms where Mr Jackson and Mr Moine worked in the field picking and Ayad supervised the pickers.

At lunchtime, the three young men sometimes ate together before returning to the fields and then bussing it back to Shelley’s Hostel in Home Hill.

Mr Moine said there “was nothing to do in Home Hill” except drink at a nearby hotel or in the hostel at Nugget’s Bar, named after John “Nugget” Norris, husband of the hostel proprietor, Shelley Norris.

Ayad, like many backpackers in the Far North Queensland fruit and vegetable picking region, went out drinking once a week.

On Saturday nights he would make the 13km trip to Home Hill’s twin town, Ayr, where dozens of backpackers celebrated the end of their week at the Queens and Kalamia hotels.

Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 21, also worked with Smail Ayad at one of the vegetable picking farms outside Home Hill, which attract hundreds of foreign backpackers each season.

Tom Jackson worked and lunched with his alleged killer Smail Ayad at Gumlu, south of Home Hill, before he died allegedly trying to save the life of Mia Ayliffe-Chung.

Ayad preferred the Kalamia, which stayed open until midnight, where he would drink rum or beer with three other Frenchman in a corner of the beer garden outside the men’s toilets.

But Mr Moine said Ayad had become progressively unhappy and wanted to return to his home town of Marseilles.

“He told me he wanted to go back to France but he didn’t have the money so it was hard for him,” he said.

“He had lost his job at the [name withheld] farm because he had problems with his back.”

Smail Ayad’s drinking spot outside the men’s toilet at the Kalamia Hotel in Ayr. Picture: Candace Sutton

John ‘Nugget’ Norris with backpackers Sarah and Lucy on the veranda of Shelley’s Hostel, which he runs with his wife in Home Hill. Picture: Mark Calleja

British backpacker Tom Jackson died in hospital days after the alleged attack at the hostel.

“He found Camilotto himself, and that was all right for a while until … just before [the alleged murders].”

Under the system for backpackers in the Burdekin region, foreigners on working visas register at a backpacker hostel or caravan park where the owner has a relationship with local growers.

Mr Moine said Ayad’s back problems made field work difficult, but while still living at Shelley’s Hostel, he found his own job at the Camilotto farms.

Ayad initially picked capsicums in one of the vast fields in several farms that line Molongle Beach Rd in the tiny town of Gumlu, 135km south of Townsville.

“After three weeks, he was a supervisor. He was OK (to work for), but he wasn’t happy.

A sheet mural created by grieving backpackers after the death of Mia Ayliffe-Chung on the fence of Shelley’s Hostel, where she died. Picture: Candace Sutton

John ‘Nugget’ Norris inside the hostel where Tom Jackson and Mia Ayliffe-Chung stayed alongside their alleged killer, Smail Ayad. Picture: Mark Calleja

“I don’t know why, but after work sometimes we would drink beer and talk and then he was in his room with the door locked.”

Mr Moine had already knocked back Ayad’s plea to move in to his room at Shelley’s Hostel “because he was alone”.

Nine days before the rampage, Mr Moine left Home Hill for Ayr, where he found accommodation and a “much freer” life as a fruit-picking backpacker.

He had known Ayad for six weeks, and Ayad seemed to consider him a friend, “but it was just because we were both French”.

On Sunday, August 21, Ayad telephoned Mr Moine and told him that a girl (Ms Ayliffe-Chung)

was sharing his room “and that he liked her”.

“He called me to speak about this girl just to say ‘I like her’ and I think he was thinking maybe to do something with her, but I cannot say whether that happened,” Mr Moine said.

Police and forensic vehicles outside Shelley’s Hostel where Mia Ayliffe-Chung and Tom Jackson were fatally stabbed. Picture: Roger Maynard/AFP

French backpacker Smail Ayad in a helmet, being transported to Townsville Magistrates Court after Mia Ayliffe-Chung’s alleged murder. Picture: Nine News

The conversation then took a darker turn.

“He said an English guy from [name withheld] farm was against him, wanted to get him out of the farm,” Mr Moine told news.com.au.

“I don’t know. I heard from other [backpackers] that he had started to say things that made no sense and then to change every time with what he said.”

About 11pm on Tuesday, August 23, police allege Ayad turned on Ms Ayliffe-Chung in a stabbing frenzy, which began in the room she shared with him and ended in a bloodbath in a toilet cubicle she had fled to in the communal bathroom.

On Wednesday morning, news of the stabbings filtered through to Mr Moine and his new roommates.

Police have charged Ayad with Ms Ayliffe-Chung’s murder and the attempted murder of Mr Jackson, a charge that is expected to be upgraded to murder at his next court appearance in October.

Ayad, who is being held in strict segregation at Townsville Correctional Centre, has also has been charged with assaulting a police officer.

He will face court again in October.