A nursing assistant who plotted to bomb a hospital and an RAF base has been jailed for all times.
Mohammad Farooq deliberate to detonate an explosive at St James’s Hospital in Leeds in January 2023, after earlier plotting to focus on RAF Menwith Hill close to Harrogate.
Farooq, 29, of Hetton Street in Leeds, was discovered responsible at Sheffield Crown Courtroom of making ready acts of terrorism, with jurors listening to he wished to “kill as many nurses as potential” by detonating a stress cooker bomb.
At sentencing on Friday, Farooq was jailed for all times with a minimal time period of 37 years.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb mentioned practically 10kg of explosives had been put contained in the stress cooker.
She mentioned: “You had been disillusioned in your personal life, each personally and professionally, having failed to realize the usual of labor to turn out to be a nurse.”
Farooq, who was described as being on the autism spectrum by his defence crew, had watched “anti-West propaganda” on Tiktok and downloaded terrorist handbooks, together with one on the best way to make a bomb, the courtroom heard.
Farooq was employed by the hospital on the time as a nursing assistant.
He despatched a textual content to a nurse who he thought was working that night time telling her there was a bomb on the ward.
This was achieved to not warn employees and sufferers, however to set off an evacuation the place Farooq may kill extra folks, the courtroom heard.
He wished to “detonate the bomb when the canteen was stuffed with nurses and stroll out”, the choose added.
Farooq deliberate to take his bomb into the hospital [Counter Terrorism Policing North East]
The lone-wolf would-be attacker was “talked down” by affected person Nathan Newby outdoors the hospital, the courtroom heard.
Mr Newby’s proof in the course of the trial was “essentially the most exceptional the courtroom has ever heard”, outlining how Farooq informed him how he deliberate to kill folks, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb mentioned.
Farooq was mentioned to have character dysfunction traits and should have had despair, however his problems didn’t trigger or compel his offences, the choose mentioned.
“You’re a harmful offender,” she mentioned.
“The sort thoughtfulness of a passing stranger saved you and the folks you focused”, the choose mentioned.
Mr Newby’s actions “prevented an atrocity”, she added.
Farooq had initially deliberate to assault RAF Menwith Hill, the courtroom heard.
Nonetheless, he felt the spy base, which housed US and UK employees, could be properly protected, opting as a substitute to focus on the hospital.
He was arrested outdoors the hospital with the stress cooker bomb, which was designed to be twice as highly effective as these utilized by the Boston Marathon bombers in 2013.
The courtroom was informed he had immersed himself in an “extremist Islamic ideology” and went to the hospital to “search his personal martyrdom” by a “murderous terrorist assault”.
Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC beforehand mentioned Farooq had a grievance towards a number of of his former colleagues and had been conducting a poison pen marketing campaign towards them.
Farooq was arrested outdoors St James’s Hospital with a stress cooker bomb [Counter Terrorism Policing North East]
Det Supt Paul Greenwood, head of investigations for Counter Terrorism Policing North East, welcomed the sentence.
He mentioned: “Farooq got here dangerously near harming harmless folks.
“Due to the bravery of Nathan Newby he by no means totally realised his plans and has as a substitute been compelled to face the long-term penalties of his excessive ideology and deep-seated grievances.”
Prof Phil Wooden, chief government of Leeds Educating Hospitals NHS Belief, mentioned: “At this time’s sentencing helps us proceed to maneuver on from the occasions of that morning.
“It was a particularly tough time for employees and sufferers, and I stay immensely happy with the calm {and professional} approach by which they responded on the day to maintain everybody protected.
“I might once more prefer to thank the police for his or her assist in the course of the incident and all through the investigation, and I’m extraordinarily grateful to Nathan Newby for his braveness and initiative that morning.”
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