A hospital patient who persuaded a would-be terrorist to abandon his plan to detonate a bomb in a maternity ward is set to receive the George Medal today.
Nathan Newby, 35, from Leeds, will be will be presented with the accolade for his extraordinary act of bravery that averted a potential massacre at St James's Hospital.
The civilian gallantry award - Britain's second-highest honour of its kind - recognises his lifesaving intervention in January 2023.
Would-be bomber Mohammad Farooq had entered the hospital carrying a homemade pressure cooker explosive device with the intention of killing as many nurses as possible.
He was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 37 years.
During his trial, the court heard Farooq had become radicalised by Isis ideology and had also harboured a longstanding grudge against nursing staff from his time working at the hospital as a clinical support worker.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, the sentencing judge, described Mr Newby as "an extraordinary, ordinary man whose decency and kindness on January 20, 2023, prevented an atrocity in a maternity wing of a major British hospital".
Speaking publicly about the incident for the first time ahead of the medal ceremony, Mr Newby recounted how he had stepped outside for a vape and some fresh air when he noticed Farooq standing with his hands in his pockets.
Nathan Newby, 35, from Leeds, is set to receive the George Medal on Wednesday
|PA
"I just went over to see if he was alright, to see if I could make him feel better," Mr Newby said.
"I said: 'How are you, pal? Are you alright?' and it just went from there really."
Roughly an hour into their conversation, Farooq revealed he was seeking revenge and admitted to carrying an explosive device.
"He was constantly watching (his bag), it was about seven foot away from us, and every nurse that walked past it, he was like, looking at them, looking at the bag," Mr Newby recalled.
HEROIC BRITONS - READ MORE:
Mohammad Farooq was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 37 years
|CPS
"And then I asked him what was in it and then he just come out with it he ummed and aahed, didn't want to, but then I got out of him. He just said it's a bomb."
Despite feeling frightened, Mr Newby's priority was moving Farooq away from the building without causing panic.
"I wasn't going to shout and things like that because it would have been nervous for others and just cause havoc, so I just thought, the best way is to keep quiet and just get him out of the way and be tactical about it."
He was experiencing his own mental health difficulties at the time and resolved that if the bomb exploded, only he and Farooq would be harmed.
Mr Newby was hailed as 'an extraordinary, ordinary man' who prevented a massacre at St James's Hospital
|GETTY
After enquiring about the blast radius, he took Farooq to some nearby benches, calculating that a detonation there would only damage the entrance doors rather than destroying the entire building.
The two men talked for several hours, with Farooq sharing details about his family and children.
"He asked for a cuddle a few times, and I said yeah, of course you can."
Eventually, Farooq called Mr Newby a "top guy" and instructed him to "phone the police before I change my mind".
Armed officers subsequently arrived and detained the would-be attacker.
Mr Newby said he still believes Farooq is "probably a nice guy" whose mind was simply in the wrong place.
He refuses to consider himself a hero, insisting he was "just in the right place at the right time".
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter