Hero Patient Recounts How He Stopped Leeds Hospital Bombing Plot
Nathan Newby, the patient who bravely averted a potential terrorist attack at St James's Hospital in Leeds, has spoken publicly for the first time ahead of receiving the George Medal for his gallantry. In January 2023, Newby engaged in a remarkable conversation with Mohammad Farooq, a self-radicalised lone-wolf terrorist who had brought a homemade pressure cooker bomb into the hospital's maternity wing with the intention of killing nurses.
The Fateful Encounter Outside the Hospital
On the night of January 20, 2023, Nathan Newby, then a 35-year-old patient at St James's Hospital, stepped outside for a vape and some fresh air. 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," Newby recounted. "I said: 'How are you, pal? Are you alright?' and it just went from there really."
Approximately an hour into their conversation, Farooq confessed he was there "for some sort of revenge" and revealed he had a bomb. Newby observed Farooq constantly watching his bag, which was about seven feet away, and looking at every nurse who walked past it. When pressed about the bag's contents, Farooq eventually admitted it contained an explosive device.
Calm Tactics and Quick Thinking
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Newby asked to see the device to confirm its existence. Farooq willingly opened the bag to show him the homemade pressure cooker bomb. Despite feeling fear, Newby's primary concern was to move Farooq away from the building to minimise potential casualties. "I wasn't going to shout and things like that because it would have been nervous for others and just cause havoc," he explained. "So I just thought, the best way is to keep quiet and just get him out of the way and be tactical about it."
Newby, who was grappling with his own mental health struggles at the time, thought strategically: "If it goes off, it's just going to be me and him, and I want to make sure it's just me and him and not no one else." He inquired about the bomb's radius and guided Farooq to nearby benches, calculating that an explosion would only damage the doors rather than destroy the entire building. He described this quick thinking as "just pure instinct" and admitted, "I don't know where it came from."
An Unlikely Bond and a Critical Request
Over several hours, the pair continued talking, with Farooq sharing details about his family and children. Newby recalled that Farooq asked for a cuddle multiple times, to which he responded, "yeah, of course you can." He perceived Farooq as "normal" and stated, "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 Newby a "top guy", and then instructed him: "Phone the police before I change my mind." Newby admitted feeling relief but remained cautious, noting that Farooq could have changed his mind at any moment, even during the police call.
Aftermath and Recognition
The full enormity of the situation only hit Newby once he was in the back of a police van after armed officers arrived and detained Farooq. "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."
Mohammad Farooq was subsequently jailed for life with a minimum term of 37 years. During sentencing, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb lauded 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."
Newby is set to receive the George Medal, the second-highest civilian gallantry award, for his life-saving actions. Reflecting on Farooq, Newby maintained that he "probably is a nice guy" who was "going through bad things at the time." He added, "When you're in that situation, your mind's capable of doing all sorts of things that you don't expect."
Despite his heroic actions, Newby remains humble, describing himself as someone who was "just in the right place at the right time." He concluded, "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."
