Nathan Newby, who was then patient, met Mohammad Farooq who was poised to set off a home made pressure cooker bomb at St James’ Hospital and talked him down in early morning
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The moment have-a-go hero talks down would-be terrorist at Leeds hospital
A hero talked down a terrorist who was ready to bomb a hospital in the early hours of the morning.
Nathan Newby saved countless NHS staff and patients’ by speaking calmly to Mohammad Farooq who was on the verge of bombing St James’ Hospital in Leeds. He stood outside the hospital having a cigarette when he met Mohammad Farooq who was poised to set off a home made pressure cooker bomb.
Counter Terrorism Policing North East footage shows Mr Newby, who was then a patient at the hospital, asking Farooq: “What were your intentions then?” He adds: “If I hadn’t bumped into you, what were your intentions?”
LeedsLive reported Farooq can be heard in the footage to say: “To let it off inside…I would have just done it in the kitchen.” Mr Newby then asks: “Why do you think that’s ok to do?” To which Farooq replies: “I don’t know, I’d just had enough.”
Jurors at Sheffield Crown Court found Farooq guilty of preparing an act of terrorism at the hospital. He had previously admitted firearms offences , possessing an explosive substance with intent and having a document likely to be useful to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism.
Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford opened the trial in June and then said Farooq had immersed himself in an “extremist Islamic ideology” and went to the hospital to “seek his own martyrdom” through a “murderous terrorist attack.”
Crown prosecution said Farooq had originally intended to attack RAF Menwith Hill – a North Yorkshire military base used by the United States that had been identified as a target by so-called Islamic State. When he thought that was not possible, jurors were told Farooq then switched to the “softer and less well-protected target” of St James’s Hospital in the early hours of January 20 last year.
The court heard his plan was to detonate the viable pressure cooker bomb, then kill as many people as possible with knives before using an imitation firearm to incite police to shoot them dead. Ina 999 call made by Mr Newby he can be heard telling the call handler: “He’s just pulled out the gun.”
During the call, Mr Newby can be heard to say: “He was just about to kill a load of people…Outside St James’ Hospital…Mate are you still alright yeah? Honestly mate, he’s just pulled a gun out…You’re doing the best thing mate. You can have my number mate, I will talk to you any time. Honestly mate.”
Mr Newby was heard to say Farooq had what looked like a “pistol” on him. He added: “I don’t want to touch it.”
During the trial, defence barrister Gul Nawaz Hussain KC told Farooq was not an extremist but a “troubled man” who was motivated by “deep rooted anger and grievance” towards his colleagues.
