Leeds student nurse jailed for taking bomb into maternity ward and planning RAF base attack

A Leeds student nurse who took a home-made bomb into a hospital and planned a terror attack on an RAF base has been jailed for a minimum of 37 years.

Mohammed Farooq, 29, was arrested outside St James’s Hospital maternity ward on 20^th January 2023 after telling a member of the public he “felt like killing everyone”.

He had been carrying a fake pistol and a bag containing a pressure cooker bomb.

At Sheffield Crown Court yesterday (21st March), Farooq was handed a life prison sentence with a minimum term of 37 years for planning acts of terrorism.

During his trial, the jury heard how the defendant wanted to “kill as many nurses as possible” by detonating a bomb on the ward. It was said nearly 10kg of explosives were placed inside the device.

Jurors heard how the bomb was twice as powerful as those used at the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, an attack which killed three people.

Mohammed Farooq inside the hospital via Counter Terrorism Policing North East

Also at the hospital where Farooq had been a student nurse, was his car – which contained nails, a knife, a low explosive mixture and floorplans of the building’s wards.

The BBC reported how Farooq had previously watched “anti-West propaganda”, and had downloaded terrorist handbooks.

It was said in court that he planned the bombing so that he could “seek his own martyrdom” through a “murderous terrorist attack”.

It was heard how he text a nurse he believed was working that night to tell her there was a bomb on the ward. According to the prosecution, this wasn’t done to warn those inside the hospital but to trigger an evacuation and kill more people.

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However, Farooq was talked down by Nathan Newby, a patient at the hospital.

According to Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, Mr Newby’s evidence was “the most remarkable the court has ever heard”, and she said his actions “prevented an atrocity”.

Talking to Farooq, she added: “You are a dangerous offender.

“The kind thoughtfulness of a passing stranger saved you and the people you targeted.”

She further told the now-convicted terrorist: “You were disillusioned in your own life, both personally and professionally, having failed to achieve the standard of work to become a nurse.”

However, the hospital wasn’t the only building targeted by Farooq as he had initially planned to attack RAF Menwith Hill.

After his arrest, analysis of electronic devices used by the 29-year-old revealed searches for the RAF base and location data showing he had visited the area in North Yorkshire on two separate occasions.

Counter Terrorism Policing North East released footage showing the moment he was arrested outside St James’ Hospital. In it, he can be heard telling officers that there is a bomb inside the building.

Armed officers can be seen talking to Farooq calmly as he admitted to having a gun on him.

He then said: “There’s a bag there. There’s a bomb inside but it’s not live,” further explaining that the device contains gunpowder.

Before the footage ends, the former student nurse tells officers that he’d been on site for hours but that it was a patient who had talked him down from committing the attack. We now know that to be Mr Newby.

Head of the Criminal Prosecution Service Counter Terrorism Division, Bethan David, called Farooq “an extremely dangerous individual” who had “intention to cause serious harm”.

She added: “Examination of his electronic devices revealed a hatred towards his colleagues at work and those he considered non-believers.

“The extremist views Farooq holds are a threat to our society, and I am pleased the jury found him guilty of his crimes.”

The 29-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to offences including possession of an explosive substance with intent to endanger life, possession of an explosive substance in suspicious circumstances, possession of information likely to be useful to a terrorist, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence, and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Featured image from CPS