Patient Intervenes to Prevent Hospital Bombing
A patient who stopped a bombing at a hospital has revealed how he hugged the armed man planning the attack to help calm him down.
Nathan Newby, awarded the George Medal by King Charles for his bravery, spent two hours persuading "lone-wolf terrorist" Mohammad Farooq to abandon his plan at St James' Hospital in Leeds in 2023.
In his first interview, Newby, 35, said:
"I hate going into hospitals but on that day, I was in there for a reason and it was not to get better; I was in there because that was happening."
Farooq, who was employed at the hospital, was later convicted of preparing acts of terrorism and sentenced to a minimum of 37 years in prison.
Newby, who was being treated for a chest infection at the time, explained he had stepped outside for a vape and some fresh air when he noticed Farooq outside the maternity ward appearing anxious and fidgety.
"He looked out of place so I went over to see if he was alright, to see if I could cheer him up,"he said.
"He was watching a bag all the time which was six feet away."
Newby persuaded Farooq to open the bag, revealing a pressure cooker bomb containing 10kg of explosives.
A trial at Sheffield Crown Court heard the bomb was estimated to be "double the size" of the device used in the 2013 Boston Marathon attack, which killed three and injured hundreds.
"I thought there's no way of getting away now so I might as well stay with the guy,"Newby said.
"If I'd have run away he would have panicked.
"I stuck with him, trying to take his mind off what he wanted to do, get to know him and what he was thinking and see if I could change it."
Farooq had worked as a nursing assistant at the hospital but was described in court as "a self-radicalised lone-wolf terrorist".
Jurors heard he harbored grievances against colleagues and intended to "kill as many nurses as possible" during the planned attack in the early hours of 20 January 2023.
"The hospital is normally busy, people in and out all night,"Newby said.
"There was no one there at all, it was just me and him. There was no one there I could send a signal to."
Newby asked Farooq about the potential blast radius and persuaded him to move away from the hospital entrance.
The court heard Farooq had viewed "anti-West propaganda" on social media and downloaded terrorist manuals, including instructions on bomb-making.
Following his arrest, police found Farooq armed with knives and an imitation gun.
Newby described how he engaged Farooq in conversation about his own difficulties to help improve his mood.
"He asked me to stand up and give him a hug, so I said, 'yes, have a hug mate'.
"He then said, 'I want you to phone the police before I change my mind'."
Newby asked to use Farooq's phone to call emergency services after his own ran out of battery, subtly filming Farooq during the call after the operator initiated a mobile app.
During the call, Newby asked if Farooq had other weapons; Farooq revealed the imitation gun, which Newby asked him to place on a bench.
Armed police arrived shortly after and arrested Farooq.
The court heard Farooq's initial target was RAF Menwith Hill, a spy base near Harrogate operated by US and UK personnel.
When that proved unfeasible, he chose the "softer and less well-protected target" of St James' Hospital.
The judge, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, described Newby as an "extraordinary man" and said his testimony was "amongst the most remarkable the court has ever heard".
Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC stated Newby's "simple act of kindness almost certainly saved many lives".
Detective Superintendent Paul Greenwood, head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East investigations, said he had never seen an attack so narrowly averted.
Speaking after Farooq's conviction, Greenwood said:
"He was the right person in the right place at the right time, because most people wouldn't have done what he did."
Reflecting on the event, Newby said:
"When I got back in my room in hospital and laid on the bed, that's when it all hit me.
"It's just crazy that if I hadn't been in hospital, if I hadn't got that chest infection and been rushed to hospital, I'd have been at home, he would have gone for it and I would have been seeing it on the news."
Newby received his George Medal, awarded for acts of great bravery, during a ceremony at St James' Palace in London on Wednesday.
The medal is primarily a civilian award but may also be given to military personnel for gallant conduct not in "the face of the enemy".
Newby described the honour as "a lot to take in" but said he felt "proud at saving lives".
"I like to think that anybody would do that,"he added.
"Some people are strong and some people handle things in different ways but it's just me, it's just how I am."
