Leeds Man Honoured for Preventing Maternity Ward Terror Attack
Nathan Newby, a 35-year-old from Leeds, West Yorkshire, has spoken publicly for the first time about the night he prevented a potential atrocity at a hospital maternity ward. He is set to receive the George Medal, Britain's second highest civilian gallantry award, for his courageous actions on January 20, 2023.
A Fateful Encounter Outside St James's Hospital
Mr Newby, who was a patient at St James's Hospital at the time, had stepped outside for a vape and some fresh air when he noticed Mohammad Farooq standing near the building. He observed Farooq "swaying like he'd had some bad news or something" and decided to check on him. This simple act of kindness initiated several hours of conversation that ultimately diffused a deadly situation.
"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."
The Terrifying Revelation
During their conversation, Farooq eventually confessed he was at the hospital "for some sort of revenge" and revealed he had brought a homemade pressure cooker bomb with the intention to "kill as many nurses as possible." The self-radicalised lone-wolf terrorist had previously worked as a clinical support worker at the hospital and held a long-running grievance against nurses on his ward.
Mr Newby described the moment Farooq disclosed his deadly plan: "He was constantly watching [his bag], it was about seven foot away from us, and every nurse that walked past it, he was like, looking at them, looking at the bag. And then 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."
Calm Under Pressure
Despite the terrifying revelation, Mr Newby maintained remarkable composure. His primary concern was to move Farooq away from the building to minimize potential casualties.
"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 explained. "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 asked Farooq about the bomb's radius and carefully moved him to nearby benches, reasoning that "if it had have gone off at least, it would have just took the doors, it wouldn't take the whole building out." Mr Newby described this strategic thinking as "just pure instinct."
An Unlikely Connection
As they continued talking for several hours, Farooq opened up about his family and children. Mr Newby noted he seemed "normal" during their conversation. The would-be attacker even asked for hugs multiple times, which Mr Newby granted without judgment.
"He asked for a cuddle a few times, and I said yeah, of course you can," Mr Newby said. "I don't judge anybody. Everybody's different and unique in their own ways aren't they? I didn't judge him."
The Turning Point
Eventually, Farooq told Mr Newby: "Phone the police before I change my mind." While this brought some relief, Mr Newby remained aware that Farooq could have changed his mind at any moment, even during the police call.
When armed officers arrived and detained Farooq, the enormity of the situation finally struck Mr Newby as he sat in the back of a police van. "It started sinking in that it could have been different," he recalled. "Emotions started coming, it was like wow, as if that's just happened."
Justice Served and Recognition Earned
Mohammad Farooq was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 37 years at Sheffield Crown Court in March last year. During sentencing, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb praised Mr Newby as "an extraordinary, ordinary man" whose "decency and kindness" prevented "an atrocity in a maternity wing of a major British hospital."
Despite preventing what could have been a devastating terrorist attack, Mr Newby remains humble about his actions. "I don't think of myself as a hero," he said. "I was just in the right place at the right time."
Reflecting on Farooq, Mr Newby expressed surprising empathy: "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."
Mr Newby now prepares to receive the George Medal in recognition of his bravery, though he admits he only thinks about that night "if someone brings it up." He remains acutely aware of how differently events could have unfolded, noting: "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."
