Hospital patient who stopped bomb plot by hugging attacker honoured for bravery
A man who helped stop a hospital bombing has spoken about how a simple act of kindness, including hugging the attacker, helped prevent a deadly attack.
Nathan Newby, 35, has been awarded the George Medal after talking down would-be bomber Mohammad Farooq outside St James’s Hospital in Leeds in January 2023.
Newby had been receiving treatment for a chest infection when he stepped outside for fresh air and noticed Farooq acting nervously near the maternity ward. What began as a casual check-in quickly turned into a life-threatening situation.
Farooq, who worked at the hospital as a nursing assistant at the time, had a pressure cooker bomb containing around 10kg of explosives. The device was later described in court as approximately double the size of the one that was used in the Boston Marathon attack.
Despite realising the danger, Newby chose not to run.
"I thought there's no way of getting away now so I might as well stay with the guy," he said. "If I'd have run away he would have panicked."
Over the next two hours, he kept Farooq talking, trying to distract him and reduce the risk. He asked questions about the device and carefully encouraged him to move away from the hospital entrance to limit potential damage.
"I stuck with him, trying to take his mind off what he wanted to do, get to know him and what he was thinking and see if I could change it."
At one point, Farooq asked for physical reassurance.
"He asked me to stand up and give him a hug, so I said, 'yes, have a hug mate'."
Moments later, the situation shifted again.
"He then said, 'I want you to phone the police before I change my mind'."
Using Farooq’s phone, Newby contacted emergency services while continuing to keep him calm. During the call, Farooq revealed he was carrying a gun, which was later found to be a fake gun, along with knives.
Armed police arrived soon after the call and arrested him, ending a situation that could have had devastating consequences.
Farooq was later convicted of preparing acts of terrorism and was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 37 years. The court heard he had planned to target hospital staff, driven by grievances and extremist material he had consumed online.
A judge described Newby as an “extraordinary man”, while prosecutors said his actions likely saved many lives.
Reflecting on the moment, Newby said the reality only hit him afterwards.
"When I got back in my room in hospital and laid on the bed, that's when it all hit me," he said. "It's just crazy that if I hadn't been in hospital, if I hadn't got that chest infection and been rushed to hospital, I'd have been at home, he would have gone for it and I would have been seeing it on the news."
He received the George Medal, which is one of the UK’s highest civilian honours, at a ceremony in London, and said that the recognition was overwhelming but that he felt proud of what he did.
"I like to think that anybody would do that," he said. "Some people are strong and some people handle things in different ways but it's just me, it's just how I am."
