Mia Ayliffe-Chung’s alleged killer, Smail Ayad, remanded in custody on murder charge

A FRENCH man accused of a stabbing frenzy at a north Queensland backpackers that claimed Mia Ayliffe-Chung’s life will remain in custody.

Mia Ayliffe-Chung died at Shelley's Backpackers in Home Hill near Townsville.

A FRENCH man accused of the violent stabbing murder of a young British backpacker did not appear in court today because of serious safety concerns.

Smail Ayad, 29, did not appear in Townsville Magistrates Court to face the raft of charges laid against him after an alleged stabbing frenzy at a rural hostel in Queensland on Tuesday night.

He stands accused of the murder of Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 21, and the attempted murders of her fellow Brit, Tom Jackson, 30, who continues to fight for life in hospital.

It is alleged the 29-year-old stabbed the heroic Mr Jackson multiple times in the eye, head and torso as he unsuccessfully attempted to shield the fatally injured Ms Ayliffe-Chung from her alleged attacker.

Smail Ayad is accused of killing Brit Mia Ayliffe-Chung.

Ayad is also alleged to have stabbed hostel caretaker Grant Schulz, 46, in the leg as he intervened, and to have slaughtered a pet dog that lived at the hostel.

He faced a further 12 charges of assaulting police officers, stemming from a string of allegedly violent incidents since he was taken into custody, in which he has allegedly bitten one officer and hit others, and been subdued with capsicum spray and a taser.

The 29-year-old had been due to appear in court via videolink to face the charges on Friday, however, he did not appear.

On Thursday, Superintendent Ray Rohweder said his upcoming court appearance presented serious safety concerns for police officers and members of the public, given his behaviour in custody.

Tom Jackson was critically injured trying to help Mia Ayliffe-Chung.

A Facebook photo of Mia Ayliffe-Chung working on a farm just days before her death.

He was remanded in custody in absentia, to reappear in Townsville Magistrates Court in October.

Ms Ayliffe-Chung had arrived at Shelley's Backpackers in Home Hill, in the middle of sugar cane territory, to do a three-month stint of farm work just days before her death.

The 21-year-old was undertaking the work in a bid to extend her Australian working holiday visa.

Ayad, who was also staying at the hostel to undertake farm work, had reportedly become romantically obsessed with the beautiful young waitress, feelings Supt Rohweder said on Thursday were not reciprocated by the 21-year-old.

Grant Schulz, 46, was allegedly stabbed in the leg by Ayad. Picture: Tim Marsden

Ayad, a French-Algerian Muslim, was heard to repeatedly yell the phrase “Allahu Akbar” — Arabic for “God is the greatest” — before allegedly attacking Ms Ayliffe-Chung and when police arrived to arrest him.

However, on Thursday, Supt Rophweder said investigators had all but ruled out the attack being motivated by extremism, saying there was no evidence Ayad was radicalised.