An Islamic 'lone wolf' terrorist who plotted to blow up his hospital was radicalised after watching dozens of TikTok videos promoting jihadism and anti-Semitism, it emerged last night.
Trainee nurse Mohammad Sohail Farooq, 28, was yesterday convicted of plotting the atrocity at St James's Hospital in Leeds after immersing himself in an 'extremist Islamic ideology' and planning to 'seek his own martyrdom' through a 'murderous terrorist attack'.
In the early hours of January 20 last year, he took a viable home-made bomb to his own workplace, modelled on the device used to kill three people at the Boston Marathon in 2013, but with double the amount of explosives.
Amazingly, however, Farooq - whose wife was pregnant with their second child - agreed to call off his plan after Nathan Newby by chance engaged him in conversation outside the building, giving him a hug and telling him to think about his children.
Sheffield Crown Court heard how Farooq watched 30 TikTok videos pushing jihadist and anti-Semitic messages. In one of the videos, from a group called Millatu Ibrahim, a preacher said: 'With the sword, Islam is established, forcing them to accept the religion. Don't be shy of being called a terrorist. Yes, we are terrorists. Yes, we are fundamentalists.'
Jurors were also told that on August 31, 2022, Farooq accessed a TikTok video listing the seven 'blessings of the martyr' including that they would be 'forgiven from the first drop of blood, married to maidens of paradise, and permitted to intercede for 70 of his relatives.'
Meanwhile, two videos showed images of the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, and one had the words: 'Our men and women and soldiers chant khaybar oh Jews [expel the Jews]. The army of Mohammed will return, we have Quds [Jerusalem] in our promise.'
Trainee nurse Farooq, 28, was convicted of plotting the attack on Tuesday and will be sentenced at a later date
The pressure cooker Farooq had planned to use to attack the hospital where he worked
Another featured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating that Palestinians had 'dreams of re-establishing the Caliphate'.
Nathan Newby persuaded would-be suicide bomber Farooq to abandon his plan to blow up St James's Hospital
The court also heard that Farooq looked at a video headlined: 'Jewish people say the Jews will control the world.'
Prosecutors said Farooq had originally intended to attack RAF Menwith Hill - a North Yorkshire military base used by the United States that had been identified as a target by so-called Islamic State.
Movements of Farooq's mobile phone and car showed he made at least two visits to the area of Menwith Hill in the 10 days leading up to his arrest, jurors were told.
Mr Sandiford said the base had been designated as a target by IS because it was believed it had been used to co-ordinate drone strikes against terrorists. When he thought that was not possible, jurors were told Farooq then switched to the 'softer and less well-protected target' of St James's Hospital.
The court heard he had a 'secondary motive' for choosing it which was that he had a grievance against several of his former colleagues and had been conducting a poison pen campaign against them.
Farooq denied preparing terrorist acts, with defence counsel Gul Nawaz Hussain KC telling jurors Farooq was not an extremist but a 'troubled man' who was motivated by 'deep rooted anger and grievance' towards his colleagues.
CCTV footage showed Farooq (circled) in the foyer of the hospital
Farooq pictured at the hospital carrying out a reconnaissance prior to carrying out the planned attack
Farooq pictured during his reconnaissance mission hours before the arrest
On Tuesday, a jury convicted him of the offence after deliberating for less than two hours.
Opening the case to jurors in June, prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC said Farooq's plan was to detonate the bomb, then kill as many people as possible with knives before using an imitation firearm to incite police to shoot him dead.
Mr Sandiford said 'two pieces of good fortune intervened' to stop the planned 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 was not seen for almost an hour, and the full-scale evacuation he had hoped for did not happen.
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.
But Mr Sandiford told the court that 'luck intervened again' because Mr 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'.'
St James's Hospital in Leeds, West Yorkshire, following Farooq attempted attack
Police retrieved a knife after arresting Farooq. He had planned to kill as many people as possible with knives before using an imitation firearm to incite police to shoot him dead
Blank ammunition found at the time of the Islamic terrorist's arrest
Mr Sandiford said Farooq told Mr Newby about his grievances towards his colleagues and his plan to take the bomb into the hospital and 'kill as many nurses as possible'.
Mr Newby stayed with the defendant and eventually persuaded him to move away from the building, and hand over his phone to call the police.
Officers who arrested Farooq 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 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.
Bethan David, head of the CPS Counter Terrorism Division, said: 'Farooq is an extremely dangerous individual who amassed a significant amount of practical and theoretical information that enabled him to produce a viable explosive device.
'He then took that homemade explosive device to a hospital where he worked with the intention to cause serious harm. Examination of his electronic devices revealed a hatred towards his colleagues at work and those he considered non-believers.
'It is clear from his internet searches that he was also conducting extensive research of RAF Menwith Hill, with a view to launching a potential attack.
'The extremist views Farooq holds are a threat to our society, and I am pleased the jury found him guilty of his crimes.'
