Homemade bomb inspired by Boston attack
A self-radicalised lone wolf terrorist who came within moments of detonating a powerful homemade bomb in a hospital maternity wing has been jailed for life. Mohammad Farooq, 29, took a pressure cooker bomb into St James’s Hospital in Leeds in January 2023, intending to commit a mass-casualty attack aimed at NHS staff.
Farooq’s device was modelled on the bombs used at the 2013 Boston Marathon, but with double the explosive content. Prosecutors said the clinical support worker, who had been radicalised online, planned to “kill as many nurses as possible” by setting off the bomb during a shift change in the hospital café.
He had initially targeted RAF Menwith Hill, an American base in North Yorkshire, but abandoned the plan after being unable to breach the site’s tight security. He then turned his attention to the hospital, where he previously worked.
Patient’s intervention saved lives
The attack was only prevented after a patient, Nathan Newby, stepped outside for a cigarette and struck up a conversation with Farooq. Speaking with him for a few minutes, Newby’s calm demeanour and kindness caused Farooq to “lose his bottle” and walk away from the hospital entrance.
Sheffield Crown Court heard that this “simple act of kindness” almost certainly saved many lives. The judge, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, described Newby as an “extraordinary, ordinary man” whose actions prevented a major atrocity. Farooq later told police it was Newby who “talked him down.”
Farooq’s plan for ‘martyrdom’
After abandoning the hospital attack, Farooq was arrested by armed police. Officers found knives and an imitation firearm in his possession. Prosecutors said Farooq intended to detonate the bomb, then stab multiple victims, and finally provoke police into shooting him dead. He had told officers he wanted to be a “martyr” and had immersed himself in extremist Islamic ideology.
The judge sentenced Farooq to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 37 years. She said the planning and intention behind the plot showed a clear desire to cause mass harm. The court heard Farooq’s bomb was fully viable and could have killed or seriously injured dozens.
Farooq was found guilty of preparing acts of terrorism and possessing an explosive with intent.
