Hospital support worker convicted for planning act of terrorism

In the early hours of 20 January last year, the 28-year-old clinical support worker from Leeds was found in the grounds of St James’s Hospital while in possession of an improvised bomb, knives and an imitation firearm.

Farooq was discovered by Nathan Newby, an inpatient at St James’s Hospital. Newby engaged with Farooq, who was clearly agitated and very open about his plans to detonate a bomb at the location. Despite being on the premises for some time, he appeared conflicted and had not yet acted on his intentions.

For his part, Newby had been in the grounds by chance and was able to calm Farooq before calling 999 to seek the assistance of West Yorkshire Police.

Investigation process

The investigation that followed showed Farooq had radicalised himself online. Detectives from Counter-Terrorism Policing North East discovered he was self-motivated and heavily inspired by Daesh propaganda. It emerged that Farooq had procured weapons and successfully manufactured a viable explosive device in readiness for an attack.

Farooq had identified two potential targets for an attack: RAF Menwith Hill in North Yorkshire and St James’s Hospital in Leeds. He had conducted reconnaissance at the Royal Air Force base on three separate occasions before shifting the focus of his attentions to St James’s Hospital in order to pursue a long-standing grievance against members of staff. 

Prioritising targets 

Detective Superintendent Paul Greenwood, head of investigations for Counter-Terrorism Policing North East, observed: “This trial has clearly evidenced Farooq’s intent to act on his beliefs and carry out an attack. He had researched and prepared for his actions, building an improvised explosive device and prioritising his targets.” 

Greenwood continued: “Farooq was primarily motivated by a Daesh-inspired ideology, but also by his own deep-seated grievances. It was these extreme and personal grievances which ultimately led him to St James’s Hospital in January last year.”

Further, Greenwood noted: “We are sincerely grateful for the actions of Nathan Newby that morning, whose bravery and willingness to calm Farooq prevented him from fully realising his plans. Had Nathan not intervened, the outcome could have been devastating. We would also like to acknowledge the strength and resilience of staff at St James’s Hospital, who acted swiftly in the face of the potential threat to ensure the safety of their patients and staff, while maintaining business as usual throughout the incident.”

Greenwood concluded: “The commitment of these people to protecting others forever changed the course of events that day. I hope they are immensely proud of their actions and reassured by the verdict.” 

Calm and professional

Professor Phil Wood, CEO of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, commented: “This was an extremely difficult time for staff and patients. I’m immensely proud of the calm and professional way in which they responded on the day to keep everyone safe. I would like to thank the police service for their support during the incident and throughout the investigation to enable us to reach this point. I’m extremely grateful to Nathan Newby for his courage and initiative that morning.” 

On a date yet to be confirmed, Farooq will be sentenced for all of the offences mentioned.