Ayad claimed to have no or limited memory of dragging 21-year-old Ms Ayliffe-Chung from her hostel bed, about 100 kilometres south of Townsville, before killing her and fatally stabbing Mr Jackson, 30, as he tried to save her life. After an initial denial, the court heard he no longer disputed carrying out the shocking attack, which included forcing his way into the bathroom to attack Mr Jackson. He stabbed hostel manager Grant Schultz in the leg as he tried to protect Mia and killed Atari, the accommodation owners’ dog, after a series of “persecutory” and “reference” delusions convinced him several different people wanted him dead. A tribute to Mia Ayliffe-Chung at the Home Hill Backpackers. Credit:Jorge Branco Four expert psychiatrists used Facebook posts, text messages, phone calls, conversations, CCTV footage and extensive interviews with the killer to diagnose him, all eventually agreeing he had paranoid schizophrenia and was in acute psychosis at the time of the attack.

He was heard to shout “Brûle moi” the French words for “burn me” during the rampage, sing the nation’s anthem, and threw himself headfirst from a balcony, breaking his neck and back, the court heard. Ayad started using cannabis in his early teens and told doctors he usually smoked three to four joints a day, sharing his last toke with Mr Jackson hours before repeatedly stabbing him. Mr Jackson was labelled a hero for his bravery and clung to life for six days before dying in hospital. Smail Ayad. The psychiatrists agreed the prolonged heavy cannabis use was probably a factor in exposing his vulnerability to mental illness. But he was not high when he killed his fellow backpackers and marijuana did not cause the psychosis.

Minutes before the rampage, about 11pm, Ayad took to Facebook to claim he was the victim of an “international conspiracy”. The Park psychiatrist Dr Angela Voita. Credit:Jorge Branco/Fairfax Media. Taking Ms Ayliffe-Chung hostage and stabbing her to death was an attempt to force police to come and intervene, he told his treating psychiatrist, Angela Voita. The court heard his condition developed over a period of only seven weeks, and quickly toward the end, with other backpackers noting extreme changes in his behaviour. Ayad thought the farmer he worked for, the hostel owner, manager and cleaner, his fellow backpackers and even the police were all in on the fictitious plan to kill him.

He wanted to leave the hostel but changed his mind at the last minute when he saw the farmer with another man and worried he would be killed. “I saw the boss at the farm with a large pizza oven, human-sized, to burn me up,” he told one psychiatrist. The court heard several backpackers believed Ayad wanted a romantic relationship with Ms Ayliffe-Chung, a vibrant Brit described as “charming” by most of them. Queensland Health forensic psychiatrist Russ Scott said that was “not a relevant consideration” and the witnesses were “not reliable”. Victims' loved ones deliver powerful statements

In a rare move, Mia’s mum Rosie Ayliffe, who kicked off a campaign to reform Australia’s requirements for foreign workers to spend time in regional areas, personally delivered a tearful victim impact statement to the court. Rosie Ayliffe leaves the court on Thursday afternoon. Credit:Jorge Branco/Fairfax Media She spoke powerfully of the love so many had for her daughter and that her daughter had for others, stumbling when she recounted the young woman stopping and talking with people in the slums of Mumbai. Her grief had crippled her, the former teacher said, but wished only peace upon Ayad and his family. “I am proud to have been her mother and I will hold her in my heart until I die,” Ms Ayliffe said, through tears.

She was joined in the public gallery by Tom’s dad, Les, who recounted his frantic, sleepless dash from England to be by his son’s side as he lay comatose in hospital, covered in knife wounds. “The pain of losing Tom was compounded by thoughts that I wasn’t there for him when he needed me most,” he said, opening up about disturbed nights picturing his defenceless son being attacked by a knife-wielding martial arts expert. Les Jackson leaves the Mental Health Court in Brisbane . Credit:Jorge Branco/Fairfax Media. Ayad told doctors he could not remember the attack, save for stabbing Mr Jackson twice. His long-time treating psychiatrist at a secure mental health facility, Dr Angela Voita, gave evidence Ayad said he felt “bad” about the deaths and would continue to every day.

“He said in particular that Thomas was his friend and he felt very bad about what happened to him,” she said. Loading The four psychiatrists agreed the lack of recall appeared to be genuine but could not say for certain that it was, or whether it was down to psychosis, a possible head knock, or the brain’s ability to block out traumatic moments. Ayad had recovered well from his psychosis with treatment and drugs and was now fit for trial but Justice Jean Dalton found he was of unsound mind at the time of the attack. He had been charged with murdering Ms Ayliffe-Chung and Mr Jackson, trying to murder Mr Schultz, serious animal cruelty over stabbing the dog to death and several more charges for seriously assaulting police later that night and the next day.