Mia Ayliffe-Chung: Mother of backpacker stabbed to death learned of Tom Jackson's death after landing in Australia

'It was devastating to hear that this heroic man had died trying to save Mia's life'

Mia Ayliffe-Chung (Facebook)

The mother of the British backpacker who was killed in Australia has described her grief at learning of the death of the man who tried to save her daughter's life as soon as she landed at the airport.

Rosie Ayliffe is writing a daily blog for the Independent . Her daughter Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 21, was stabbed to death at the hostel she was staying at in Home Hill, in Queensland, while undertaking farm work.

Ms Ayliffe, from Wirksworth, in Derbyshire, has travelled to Australia to collect her daughter’s body. After landing in Brisbane, she was informed that Tom Jackson, the backpacker who was stabbed trying to save Mia, had died from his injuries.

The 30-year-old, from Congleton, Cheshire, has been nominated for a posthumous bravery award by Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Smail Ayad, from France, is alleged to have killed Mia and to have caused the injuries that led to Mr Jackson's death. The 29-year-old is also accused of harming 12 police officers while in custody and will now face two charges of murder after the death of Mr Jackson.

In her fifth piece for the Independent, Ms Ayliffe described the moment she was told of Mr Jackson's passing. "The police had been well briefed and refused to answer my first question, which was, 'How's Tom Jackson?' That job was left to Megan Hunt from the consulate. None of us took the news well after the arduous flight. It was devastating to hear that this heroic man had died trying to save Mia's life and I, for one, dissolved again into the hopeless sobbing that had plagued me for most of the flight."

Nicola Hawkridge-Chung, Mia’s half-sister, told reporters there are “no words” to describe Mr Jackson’s efforts to save her.

“Not many people would have that level of bravery to put themselves in that situation and put themselves in harm's way.”

Ms Ayliffe said Mia and Mr Jackson were "beautiful, strong, exceptional people“.

Ms Ayliffe has also announced plans to continue her daughter’s travels by scattering her ashes in the parts of the world Mia did not get the chance to visit.

In her first blog for the Independent, she wrote: “Hence the plan to create a place of remembrance here, but also to give various people vials of Mia’s ashes to scatter in places dear to her or to them. That way she can visit places she hasn’t visited yet. Canada, New Zealand, Singapore. People are making huge journeys to mourn her.”