Hospital Hero Talks Down Bomber: 'I Was Just in the Right Place at Right Time'
Nathan Newby, a 35-year-old from Leeds, has spoken publicly for the first time about his extraordinary encounter with a would-be terrorist at St James's Hospital, ahead of receiving the George Medal for bravery. The civilian gallantry award recognises his lifesaving actions on January 20, 2023, when he talked Mohammad Farooq out of detonating a homemade bomb in the maternity wing.
A Fateful Night of Kindness
Mr Newby, who was a patient at the hospital that night, went outside for a vape and fresh air when he noticed Farooq standing with his hands in his pockets, swaying as if he had received bad news. "I just went over to see if he was alright, to see if I could make him feel better," Mr Newby recalled. "I said: 'How are you, pal? Are you alright?' and it just went from there really."
Over the course of an hour, Farooq revealed he was there "for some sort of revenge" and eventually confessed to having a bomb in his bag. Mr Newby described how Farooq constantly watched the bag, which was about seven feet away, eyeing every nurse that walked past. "I asked him what was in it... and then he just come out with it... he ummed and aahed, didn't want to, but then I got out of him. He just said it's a bomb."
Tactical Calm in the Face of Terror
Despite feeling scared, Mr Newby's primary concern was to move Farooq away from the building without causing panic. "I wasn't going to shout and things like that because it would have been nervous for others and just cause havoc, so I just thought, the best way is to keep quiet and just get him out of the way and be tactical about it."
He asked to see the bomb to confirm its existence, and Farooq opened the bag to show him a homemade pressure cooker device. Mr Newby then inquired about the blast radius and guided Farooq to nearby benches, calculating that if it detonated, it would only damage the doors rather than the entire building. "The plan was just pure instinct," he said. "I don't know where it came from."
Hours of Conversation and a Critical Hug
The pair talked for several hours, with Farooq sharing details about his family and children. "He asked for a cuddle a few times, and I said yeah, of course you can," Mr Newby recounted. He described Farooq as seeming "normal" and added, "I don't judge anybody. Everybody's different and unique in their own ways aren't they? I didn't judge him."
Eventually, Farooq asked for a hug, called Mr Newby a "top guy", and told him, "Phone the police before I change my mind." Mr Newby felt relief but remained aware that Farooq could have reversed his decision at any moment. "It was a bit of a relief, but at the end of the day he could have still changed his mind at any time, even if we were on the phone to the police or not."
Aftermath and Recognition
The gravity of the situation only struck Mr Newby after armed officers arrived and detained Farooq, as he sat in the back of a police van. "It started sinking in that it could have been different," he said. "Emotions started coming, it was like wow, as if that's just happened."
During the phone call to police, Mr Newby described Farooq as "seemed like a nice guy deep down". Reflecting on him now, he said, "He probably is a nice guy. It was just, his head was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I would say he was just going through bad things at the time, and when you're in that situation, your mind's capable of doing all sorts of things that you don't expect."
Farooq was jailed last year for life with a minimum term of 37 years. The judge, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, praised Mr Newby as "an extraordinary, ordinary man whose decency and kindness on January 20 2023 prevented an atrocity in a maternity wing of a major British hospital".
Mr Newby, who will receive the George Medal – the second-highest civilian gallantry award – on Wednesday, humbly downplays his heroism. "I only think about that night (now) if someone brings it up. And then it's like, it's crazy how it could have gone....I was a patient at the time, so I wouldn't be here, because I was at the front of the building, so it would have took me out." He sees himself not as a hero, but as someone who was "just in the right place at the right time".
