The man who tried to prevent the murder of a young British woman in a grisly knife attack at an Australian hostel has now also died, as a result of the injuries he suffered.
Thomas Jackson, 30-years old and also from Britain, was hailed as a hero and taken to hospital critically injured after reportedly trying to protect fellow backpacker Mia Ayliffe-Chung.
Queensland police confirmed on Wednesday that Mr Jackson had died in Townsville hospital and that charges against Smail Ayad, the man charged with Ms Ayliffe-Chung’s murder, relating to Mr Jackson were to be upgraded from ‘attempted murder’ to ‘murder’
We’re very sad to confirm that Thomas Jackson, the British man who was injured in #HomeHill last week, died in hospital a short time ago.
— QPS Media Unit (@QPSmedia) August 30, 2016
Mr Jackson’s father, Les Jackson, says his family are “bereft”.
“We are bereft. Our darling Tom has left us and the world is a poorer place,” he said, according to the BBC.
“There is dark and evil in this world perpetrated by a few, but so much more love and light emanates from so many more.
“That thought will sustain us over the coming days.”
21-year-old Ms Ayliffe-Chung was stabbed to death in an attack at Shelley’s Backpackers hostel in Home Hill, south of Townsville, on Tuesday last week.
29-year-old Smail Ayad, from France, has been charged with murdering Ms Ayliffe-Chung and is in custody.
It was initially suggested that Ayad may have had ties to Islamic extremisim due to him allegedly calling out “Allahu akbar” (God is great) during the tragic incident. However, investigators have been unable to find any such link. Police have said they were investigating romantic “obsession” as a possible motive.