A hospital patient who talked a would-be suicide bomber out of detonating a device in a maternity ward has been awarded the George Medal for his bravery. Nathan Newby, 35, from Leeds, engaged Mohammad Farooq in conversation for several hours, ultimately persuading him to surrender to police.
Farooq, a former clinical support worker at St James's Hospital, brought a homemade pressure cooker bomb to the site in January 2023, intending to kill nurses. He was later jailed for life with a minimum term of 37 years. The judge, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, described Mr Newby as 'an extraordinary, ordinary man whose decency and kindness prevented an atrocity'.
Mr Newby, who was a patient at the time, noticed Farooq acting suspiciously and approached him. Over the course of their conversation, Farooq revealed he had a bomb. Mr Newby tactfully asked to see the device to confirm its authenticity, then guided Farooq away from the building to minimise potential casualties.
During their interaction, Farooq asked for a hug and called Mr Newby a 'top guy' before instructing him to call the police. Mr Newby said: 'It was a bit of a relief, but at the end of the day he could have still changed his mind at any time.' He added that his actions were 'pure instinct'.
Reflecting on the incident, Mr Newby said the full gravity only hit him once he was in a police van. He will receive the George Medal, the second-highest civilian gallantry award, at a ceremony this Wednesday.
