On a chilly January night in 2023, the quiet corridors of St James's Hospital in Leeds nearly became the scene of an unthinkable tragedy. Yet thanks to the calm bravery of a patient named Nathan Newby, disaster was averted, and countless lives were spared. Today, Newby, now 35 and still somewhat bewildered by the attention, is being awarded the prestigious George Medal at a ceremony in London—a recognition of civilian gallantry that, in his words, feels "a lot to take in."
It all began on January 20, 2023, when Newby, at the hospital for a chest infection, stepped outside for a vape and some fresh air. According to BBC News, he spotted a man—Mohammad Farooq—standing near the entrance to the maternity wing, looking anxious and out of place. Farooq, a former clinical support worker at the hospital, was fidgeting and keeping a close eye on a bag placed about six or seven feet away. "He looked out of place so I went over to see if he was alright, to see if I could cheer him up," Newby recalled.
That simple act of kindness set off a chain of events that would save countless lives. As Newby engaged Farooq in conversation, he noticed the man’s growing agitation and his fixation on the bag. "He was constantly watching (his bag), it was about seven feet away from us, and every nurse that walked past it, he was looking at them, looking at the bag," Newby told Metro. Sensing something was amiss, Newby gently asked what was inside. After about an hour, Farooq revealed the chilling truth: "He just said it’s a bomb. I could hear it in his voice, it wasn’t a joke, or owt like that."
The device, as later described in court, was a home-made pressure cooker bomb packed with approximately 10 kilograms of explosives—estimated to be twice the size of the bomb used in the 2013 Boston Marathon attack. Farooq’s intent, as revealed during his trial at Sheffield Crown Court, was to "kill as many nurses as possible." The court heard that Farooq, described as a "self-radicalised lone-wolf terrorist," had been inspired by extremist propaganda online and was fueled by a long-standing grievance with his colleagues.
Faced with this terrifying revelation, Newby’s instincts kicked in. He didn’t panic or attempt to flee, fearing it might push Farooq over the edge. Instead, he kept talking. "I thought there's no way of getting away now so I might as well stay with the guy," Newby told BBC News. "If I'd have run away he would have panicked." He focused on keeping Farooq calm, talking about everyday problems and even sharing some of his own struggles. Over the course of two tense hours, Newby managed to persuade Farooq to move away from the hospital entrance and towards some benches further from the building—a move he called "pure instinct."
Throughout their conversation, Farooq’s demeanor fluctuated between agitation and vulnerability. At one point, he asked Newby for a hug, a request Newby honored without hesitation. "He asked for a cuddle a few times, and I said yeah, of course you can," Newby recalled to The Evening Standard. "I don’t judge anybody. Everybody’s different and unique in their own ways, aren’t they? I didn’t judge him." Farooq even called Newby a "top guy" before finally uttering the words that would bring the ordeal to a close: "Phone the police before I change my mind."
With his own phone out of battery, Newby used Farooq’s mobile to dial emergency services, subtly filming Farooq at the suggestion of the call handler. During the call, he asked Farooq if he had any other weapons; Farooq produced an imitation gun, which Newby calmly asked him to set aside. Armed police arrived moments later, arresting Farooq without incident.
As GB News reported, Farooq was later convicted of preparing acts of terrorism and sentenced in 2025 to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 37 years. The judge, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, described Newby as an "extraordinary, ordinary man whose decency and kindness... prevented an atrocity in a maternity wing of a major British hospital." Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC added that Newby’s "simple act of kindness almost certainly saved many lives."
Investigators later revealed that Farooq had initially targeted RAF Menwith Hill, a joint US-UK intelligence base near Harrogate, but switched to the "softer and less well-protected target" of St James's Hospital after encountering security obstacles. He had downloaded terrorist manuals and watched anti-Western propaganda online, and was found in possession of knives and an imitation firearm at the time of his arrest.
Reflecting on the incident, Newby has remained humble. "I only think about that night if someone brings it up," he told Metro. "And then it's like, it's crazy how it could have gone…. I was a patient at the time, so I wouldn't be here, because I was at the front of the building, so it would have taken me out." He credits his actions to instinct and circumstance, insisting, "I was just in the right place at the right time."
The emotional weight of what transpired didn’t fully hit Newby until later. "When I got back in my room in hospital and laid on the bed, that's when it all hit me," he told BBC News. "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." Despite the trauma, he says he feels "proud at saving lives," though he’s quick to add, "I like to think that anybody would do that. Some people are strong and some people handle things in different ways but it's just me, it's just how I am."
At today’s ceremony at St James’s Palace in London, Newby will receive the George Medal—the UK’s second-highest civilian gallantry award. It’s a rare and fitting tribute to a man whose calm, compassion, and courage in the face of terror prevented a catastrophe and offered a glimmer of hope in a world too often darkened by violence.
For Nathan Newby, it was a night that changed everything, and a reminder that sometimes, the right place and the right time can make all the difference.