An alleged "lone wolf terrorist" was stopped from detonating a bomb outside a hospital by a patient who managed to "talk him down", prosecutors have told a jury.
Hospital worker Mohammad Farooq, 28, allegedly planned to "kill as many nurses as possible" when he was arrested with a pressure cooker bomb. He was seized outside the Gledhow Wing of St James's Hospital in Leeds, in the early hours of January 20th.
Prosecutors say Farooq planned to "seek his own martyrdom" through a "murderous terrorist attack" by detonating the bomb. It was claimed he wanted to kill as many people as possible with knives before using an imitation firearm to incite police to shoot him dead.
Opening the trial on Monday, Jonathan Sandiford KC said Farooq had immersed himself in an "extremist Islamic ideology" and that his "plan A" had been to attack RAF Menwith Hill, which is a base in North Yorkshire used by the United States.
Farooq was seized by police at the scene (PA)
Nathan Newby managed to "talk him down", the court heard (Ben Lack Photography Ltd)"When he thought that was not possible, his 'plan B' was to attack St James Hospital, a softer and less well-protected target than a military base," Mr Sandiford said.
Farooq was a clinical support worker at the hospital and his "secondary motive" for choosing it as a target was that he had a grievance against several of his former colleagues. It was claimed he had been conducting a poison pen campaign against them, Sheffield crown court jurors were told.
Mr Sandiford said "two pieces of good fortune intervened" to stop the attack that day. The first was that a bomb threat he sent in a text to an off-duty nurse - in order to lure people to the car park where he was waiting with the bomb - was not seen for almost an hour. As a result, it was claimed, the full-scale evacuation he had hoped for did not happen.
A bomb disposal unit was called to the scene (PA)The prosecutor said Farooq left but returned shortly afterwards with a new plan to wait in a hospital cafe for a staff shift change and detonate his device, "killing as many nurses as possible". But Mr Sandiford told the court that "luck intervened again" because a patient, Nathan Newby, was standing outside the hospital having a cigarette and "noticed the defendant".
He said: "Mr Newby realised something was amiss and began to talk to him instead of walking away. That simple act of kindness almost certainly saved many lives that night because, as the defendant was later to tell the police officers who arrested him, Mr Newby succeeded in 'talking him down'."
Patients and staff were evacuated from parts of the hospital (PA) Mr Sandiford said the defendant told Mr Newby about his plan to take the bomb into the hospital and "kill as many nurses as possible".
He said: "Mr Newby stayed with the defendant, keeping him engaged and calm. Mr Newby also persuaded the defendant to move away from the main entrance to a seating area so that the IED was as far away from the building as it was possible to go."
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Jurors heard Farooq then handed his phone over to Mr Newby to ring the police. The defendant was arrested by officers who found the "viable" pressure cooker bomb had just under 10 kilograms of low explosive. He also had, with him or in his car, two knives, black tape and a blank-firing, imitation firearm.
Farooq wanted to kill "as many nurses as possible", the court heard (PA)
The court heard Farooq has admitted firearms offences, possessing an explosive substance with intent and having a document likely to be useful to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism.
He denies preparing acts of terrorism. Mr Sandiford said the defendant admits intending to attack St James Hospital but denies any intention to attack Menwith Hill.
The trial continues.
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