Counter Terrorism Policing North East has unveiled the first image of Mohammed Farooq, the man facing trial for allegedly planning a terror attack at St James’ Hospital in Leeds.

Mohammed Farooq, aged 28, is currently on trial at Sheffield Crown Court, facing charges related to preparing acts of terrorism. The clinical support worker, who had previously been employed at the hospital, was apprehended on its premises in January of this year. He was found in possession of a viable pressure cooker bomb, designed similarly to the device used in the 2013 Boston Marathon attack.

While he denies the primary charge, Farooq has already admitted to possessing an explosive substance with intent, possessing an explosive substance in suspicious circumstances, possessing a document likely to aid a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, carrying an imitation firearm with criminal intent, and possessing the same imitation firearm with the intent to incite fear of violence.

Prosecutors have revealed that Farooq held a grudge against several former colleagues at St James’s Hospital and had engaged in a malicious campaign against them. During his opening statement on Monday, Jonathan Sandiford KC, representing the prosecution, described Farooq as a “self-radicalized, lone wolf terrorist” who had made preparations for a deadly terrorist attack in Yorkshire.

Sandiford further stated that Farooq was in the process of preparing to detonate a viable pressure cooker bomb when a patient, Nathan Newby, intervened outside St James’s Hospital on January 20. Newby’s actions were credited with potentially saving numerous lives, as Farooq allegedly stated his intention to “kill as many nurses as possible.

The prosecution’s case asserts that Farooq had self-radicalized through online sources and constructed the bomb following instructions he found in an article titled “Build a bomb in the kitchen of your mom” by the “AQ chef.” According to Sandiford, the defendant had informed the police that his bomb was intended to be twice as powerful as the one used in the Boston attack.

Furthermore, Farooq had plans to target RAF Menwith Hill, a United States military base in North Yorkshire. He visited the base at least twice with the bomb. However, he abandoned this plan due to the base’s robust security and turned his attention to the hospital instead.

An expert examination of the bomb revealed that its detonation would have resulted in a significant explosion with high-speed metal fragments, posing a grave risk of serious injury or death.

Farooq’s defence barrister, Gul Nawaz Hussain KC, informed the jury on Tuesday that the defendant had pleaded guilty to several serious offences, including searching for bomb-making instructions and constructing a viable bomb. However, he argued that Farooq’s actions were not driven by Islamist extremism but rather by deep-seated, though unjustified, anger and grievances against his former colleagues.

The trial is ongoing.