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Family 'Bereft' After Brit Backpacker Dies From His Injuries In Oz

The father of a British man who has died after being injured as he tried to protect another backpacker in Australia says the family is "bereft".

Tom Jackson sustained critical injuries to his face, head and other parts of his body when he intervened as fellow Briton Mia Ayliffe-Chung was stabbed to death in north Queensland last Tuesday.

Mr Jackson, from Congleton in Cheshire, was stabbed at least 20 times.

Queensland Police, who have described the 30-year-old's actions as "selfless", confirmed he had passed away in Townsville Hospital.

His father Les, who flew from the UK to be by his bedside and has told of how "immensely proud" the family is of Tom's actions in response to the "horrific attack", said: "We are bereft. Our darling Tom has left us and the world is a poorer place.

"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."

Tom's mother Sandra said: "I will be forever grateful to have had this beautiful, unique soul in my life for the last 30 years."

Heartbroken sister Liv Jackson urged people not to remember her brother as a victim, but to cherish his memory.

She wrote on Facebook: "Indescribably proud of everything you accomplished and the lives you touched."

And Tom's brother Daniel said: "He wasn't just my brother, Tom was my best friend and he would be there for me no matter what, even from the other side of the world."

Friends and well-wishers also paid tribute to the globetrotter on social media.

Emily Jayne Waters wrote on Facebook: "I honestly couldn't be anymore broken right now ... you will forever be remembered by us all ... RIP Tom Jackson ... I'm so proud to have had a hero like you as a friend. I love you buddy."

Detectives plan to upgrade a charge of attempted murder against suspect Smail Ayad, a 29-year-old Frenchman, when he appears again in court at the end of October.

Ayad already faces one count of murder, another count of attempted murder, one count of serious animal cruelty and 12 counts of serious assault. He remains in custody.

The alleged knifeman is said to have shouted the Arabic phrase for "God is greatest" - both during the attack and while being arrested - but police said there was no evidence he had been radicalised or was motivated by politics.

Reports Ayad was "obsessed" with Miss Ayliffe-Chung , a 21-year-old from Derbyshire, are being investigated.

Ms Ayliffe-Chung was only a few days into a three-month trip working on a farm when she was attacked, according to social media.

Her boyfriend, Jamison Stead, said she was a "beautiful soul" who had "fallen in love with the country and its people".

Writing in a blog on Monday for The Independent, her mother, Rosie Aycliffe, said: "At the moment the only way I can really cope with our loss is to think Mia's time had come and what happened in that hostel on Tuesday was her fate."

She revealed her plans to scatter her daughter's ashes around the world in places she will never discover.