A student nurse was found guilty of “preparing acts of terrorism” in Leeds, the UK Crown Prosecution Service reported on Friday.
Mohammad Farooq, 29, was arrested in January 2023 outside of the maternity ward of St James’s Hospital in Leeds, England, after he displayed a gun and said he “felt like killed everyone,” CPS released.
When police arrived at the hospital, Farooq revealed he also had a usable pressure cooker bomb in his bag. After a search of his car, authorities recovered additional evidence such as nails, a knife, five plastic tubs containing an explosive mixture, and a floorplan of four hospital wards. The gun was later discovered to be a fake.
Further investigation uncovered Farooq’s online search history, detailing his interest in radical Islam, his plan of attack on the hospital, as well as searches of a nearby military base.
Farooq denied his intentions to attack the military base; however, prosecutors were able to present evidence of his planning for both the hospital and the base during his trial at Sheffield Crown Court in July.
Farooq was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum sentence of 37 years, CPS reported.
‘An extremely dangerous individual’
Bethan David, head of the CPS counterterrorism division, responded to the court’s guilty verdict, “Mohammad 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.”
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
