A hero backpacker who tried to save the life of a fellow traveller during a “frenzied knife attack” died when he was stabbed in the head in an Australian hostel.
Thomas Leslie Jackson, from Cheshire , bravely went to the aid of fellow Brit Mia Ayliff-Chung when she had been stabbed several times at Home Hill, Queensland.
Miss Ayliff-Chung, from Derbyshire, was pronounced dead at the scene while Mr Jackson died from his severe injuries in Townsville Hospital six days later, Cheshire Live reports.
An inquest into Mr Jackson’s death heard French backpacker Smail Ayad carried out the attack while 'psychotic and under the influence of cannabis'.
Mr Jackson, an experienced backpacker having stayed in India, Malaysia and spent 18 months in Cambodia teaching English, sustained at least 12 separate injuries in the attack.
Assistant coroner Peter Sigee said: “Mr Smail Ayad carried out a frenzied knife attack upon Miss Mia Ayliff-Chung, inflicting severe injuries upon her.
“Miss Ayliff-Chung was able to escape and to lock herself into a bathroom. Mr Ayad then jumped from a first floor balcony as if trying to fly, landing on his back.
“Mr Jackson went to Mr Ayad's aid, not knowing what had occurred within the hostel."
The inquest was told that another backpacker, Daniel Richards, found the victim in the bathroom and shouted that she had been stabbed, at which point Mr Jackson ran inside.
Mr Ayad then forced his way into the bathroom. Mr Jackson attempted to calm him down but was subsequently attacked, sustaining multiple stab wounds.
The coroner told the hearing an Australian mental health court had later determined that Mr Ayad was "not of sound mind" at the time of the attack.
Recording a narrative conclusion, Mr Sigee said: "Mr Jackson died of knife injuries inflicted upon him by a person of unsound mind whilst Mr Jackson was acting with great courage and valour in seeking to protect and care for a severely injured person."
Speaking after the hearing, Mr Jackson's parents Leslie and Sandra said they think of their heroic son every day.
Leslie said: "We think about him all the time."
His mum added: "I'll never get over it. You just learn to live with it.
“Tom fitted more in 30 years than a lot of people do in a lifetime."
Mr Jackson was posthumously awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal on what would have been his 33rd birthday.
His mother received the honour on behalf of her son from the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, at Buckingham Palace.
She said at the time: "(The Duke of Cambridge) was so friendly and he'd read about the case so he knew why I was going up to receive the medal on Tom's behalf, so that was really lovely.
"He said Tom had done a remarkable thing and about how brave he had been, so it was nice to know that he knew."
He was awarded a similar accolade in Queensland, for his heroic efforts on August 23 2016.
