Nathan Newby stepped outside a hospital for a vape and some fresh air on a winter night – but ended up talking down a suicide bomber after a simple act of kindness.
This «extraordinary, ordinary man», as a judge called him, is today being honoured with a George Medal, the UK’s second-highest civilian award for bravery.
He spotted Mohammad Farooq looking upset and agitated outside St James’s Hospital in Leeds on 20 January 2023.
He was there to commit mass murder at the entrance to the maternity wing, killing nurses and potentially patients too.
«[He] seemed like he might want a chat or had some bad news, so I went over and asked how it were. And it just went from there really,» says Mr Newby.
Farooq, a trainee nurse at the hospital, had a pressure cooker packed with 10kg of gunpowder in a bag and hoped to kill nurses by luring them outside with a bomb threat.
Mr Newby, 35, began chatting to him as he was «fiddling about, swaying back and forth» and initially thought he might be upset about a sick relative.
«He looked out of place; I just went over to see if he was alright. Have a chat, see if I could cheer him up and make him feel better,» he says.
Mr Newby – who was receiving treatment at the hospital and still had an IV line in his arm – also noticed a suspicious bag about 6ft away.
Farooq was loitering by the entrance to the Gledlow maternity wing next to his BMW
Farooq, 28, was far from an anxious family member.
His trial later heard he was a lone-wolf terrorist, inspired by Islamic State, and had chosen his target due to a grievance with nurses on his ward.
«He was watching every nurse come out when they were going for their fags. He was watching this bag all the time,» Mr Newby says.
Growing concerned over why the bag was standing alone, he asked Farooq plainly what was inside.
«He ummed and ahhed at first, then told me what were in it – told me there were a bomb in it,» he says.
His scepticism disappeared in a heartbeat when Farooq opened the bag and showed him the device – a DIY bomb he’d rigged up while sitting in his car outside the city’s Roundhay Park.
«That’s when I knew this is real. Describing the situation, Mr. Newby likened it to a pressure cooker, with wires sticking out the top. Despite the danger, he remained calm in an effort to prevent the bomber from detonating the device. His strategy was to befriend the bomber, engaging him in conversation and trying to divert his attention. Mr. Newby even made himself appear to have more problems than the bomber to establish a connection.
As the standoff continued, Mr. Newby managed to subtly signal for help, but his attempts went unnoticed. Eventually, after hours of tense negotiation, the bomber unexpectedly asked for a hug and then requested that Mr. Newby call the police. With caution in mind, Mr. Newby used the bomber’s phone to make the call, wary of any potential risks. The situation escalated when the bomber revealed an imitation gun, prompting Mr. Newby to take quick action to disarm him. I requested, «Please, can you place that on the bench instead of asking me to touch it?» «It all started from there,» Mr. Newby recalls. Farooq, a trainee nurse at the hospital, had brought a pressure cooker filled with 10kg of gunpowder in a bag with the intention of luring nurses outside with a bomb threat to kill them. Mr. Newby, who was receiving treatment at the hospital, noticed Farooq behaving strangely and went over to chat with him, initially thinking he was upset about a sick relative. However, he soon realized something was amiss when he saw a suspicious bag nearby. Farooq, described as a lone-wolf terrorist inspired by Islamic State, had been targeting nurses on his ward. Mr. Newby’s concern grew as Farooq admitted there was a bomb in the bag, and his disbelief turned to shock when Farooq revealed the DIY bomb he had created. This encounter made Mr. Newby realize the gravity of the situation. Mr. Newby described the bomb as resembling a pressure cooker, with wires sticking out of the top. Despite the danger, he remained calm and tried to befriend the bomber to prevent him from detonating the device. He engaged Farooq in conversation, trying to distract him and understand his motivations. Mr. Newby strategically positioned himself to minimize potential damage if the bomb were to go off. He tried to form a bond with Farooq, discussing personal issues and steering him away from violence. Eventually, Farooq asked Mr. Newby to call the police, and after some hesitation, he was able to do so using Farooq’s own phone. Farooq also revealed an imitation gun, but Mr. Newby managed to disarm him. «I said, ‘look, I don’t want to touch that, can you put it down on the bench’.»
What is the George Medal and how is it awarded?
It’s mainly awarded to civilians, such as members of the emergency services, for «conspicuous gallantry» in non-combat situations.
The medal is one down from the George Cross, which is equal to the Victoria Cross and for acts of the greatest heroism in circumstances of extreme danger.
The public can nominate people via the Cabinet Office if the act has taken place in the last five years.
A committee checks the facts and makes a decision based on degree of risk, how aware the nominee was of the danger, and their persistence.
More than 2,000 are estimated to have been given out since 1940.
Armed police soon descended on the hospital, bundling Mr Newby into a van for his own safety and ending his six-hour stand-off with Farooq.
He was found guilty, sentenced last year to a minimum of 37 years, with Sheffield Crown Court hearing how he immersed himself in «extremist Islamic ideology» and wanted to kill as many nurses as possible.
Farooq first planned to attack RAF Menwith Hill in North Yorkshire but switched targets after finding it was too well guarded.
Mr Newby says he didn’t have time to think about himself during the situation
Investigations also revealed a poison pen campaign against colleagues after he had to repeat a year of his course because he was always sick and didn’t pass exams.
Nathan Newby’s humanity and bravery that night almost certainly saved lives.
He says the danger and potential repercussions didn’t hit home until he was back in his hospital bed.
«If I hadn’t got that chest infection, got rushed in, and had been at home, he’d have gone for it and I’d be seeing it on the news.»
«It just escalated from there,» Mr. Newby recalls. Farooq, a trainee nurse at the hospital, had a pressure cooker filled with 10kg of gunpowder in a bag, intending to lure nurses outside with a bomb threat. Mr. Newby, 35, engaged Farooq in conversation, initially thinking he was upset about a sick relative. As he approached Farooq, who appeared out of place, he noticed a suspicious bag nearby. It was later revealed that Farooq, 28, was a lone-wolf terrorist inspired by Islamic State and had a grievance with nurses on his ward. Farooq had been monitoring nurses’ movements and the bag closely. Mr. Newby’s concern grew when he asked Farooq about the bag and was told it contained a bomb. Farooq then revealed the DIY bomb he had made while parked at Roundhay Park, confirming the seriousness of the situation. Mr. Newby compared the bomb to a pressure cooker, a slow cooker with wires sticking out of the top. Despite the danger, he stayed calm and tried to befriend the bomber to prevent him from detonating the device. He engaged the bomber in conversation, trying to distract him and change his mind about carrying out the attack. Mr. Newby strategically positioned himself to minimize potential damage if the bomb went off, all while forming a bond with the bomber. The stand-off lasted for about six hours, during which Mr. Newby managed to convince the bomber to surrender by offering him a hug and persuading him to call the police. However, the situation took a dangerous turn when the bomber revealed an imitation gun, raising the stakes even higher.
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Por Michael Bunting
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