Hammer attack accused taken into custody

A Singaporean tourist has been taken into custody after allegedly bashing a woman he met online with a hammer, leaving her in hospital with a fractured skull and stab wounds.

Police had been searching for the 31-year-old man, who they say arrived in Brisbane on Sunday, after he allegedly assaulted his 20-year-old victim at his Airbnb accommodation in Norman Park on Monday night.

The man was taken into custody after being picked up in Norman Park on Tuesday afternoon, a Queensland Police Service spokesman confirmed.

It came after television news crews intending to film at the Airbnb rental arrived to find the man sitting calmly in the blood-spattered granny flat.

Earlier, Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Rod Watts said the pair had previously been in a relationship for a period of months after meeting online.

It was not the first time the man had come to Australia to meet the woman, who is from Hong Kong, he said.

It is believed the owners of the share house overheard the attack, causing the man to flee barefoot without his wallet or passport and wearing only boxer shorts and a t-shirt.

The woman was taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital after suffering a fractured skull and a number of stab wounds to her upper body.

Police say she is recovering in a stable condition and was very lucky to have escaped more severe injuries.

Airbnb were "deeply concerned" by the incident and actively working with Queensland police to help the investigation, a spokesperson said.