Man Accused of Trying to Detonate Bomb He Said Was ‘Double the Size’ of Boston Marathon Device Outside Hospital
In 2013, the Boston Marathon bombing killed three people and injured more than 250 others
West Yorkshire Police
Mohammed Farooq mugshotA man has been accused to attempting to detonate a bomb he said was "double the size" of the device used in the deadly 2013 Boston Marathon bombing outside of a hospital in the United Kingdom.
The man behind the alleged attempt, Mohammed Farooq, 28, was arrested under suspicion of targeting St James's Hospital in Leeds where he worked on January 20, 2023.
On Wednesday, June 19, the Sheffield Crown Court reviewed his interview transcripts following his arrest where he denied preparing acts of terrorism but plead guilty to possessing an explosive substance with intent, per BBC News.
Farooq also plead guilty to possessing a document that would be useful to someone who was planning or committing an act of terrorism.
According to the outlet, Farooq revealed that the pressure cooker bomb contained about 7kg (15 lb.) of gunpowder and could "blow [up] a room" when asked about the power of the alleged explosive.
"It should have been double the size of the Boston Marathon bomb," the clinical support worker said, adding others were not involved and the attempt was a "lone job." In 2013, the Boston Marathon bombing killed three people and injured more than 250 others (with at least 17 of the surviving victims losing their limbs in the terrorist attack).
Related: Brother of Boston Marathon Bombing Victim Completes Boston Marathon: 'You've Got to Keep Fighting'
Elsewhere in his interview, Farooq explained his motives behind the bomb and claimed he wanted to scare his colleagues for "parring round rumors about me."
"This has been building up for about one year now," the outlet reports he said. "There's only so much a person can take."
"I wasn't going to hurt nobody," he continued and revealed that he sent a text message of warning to the manager to "scare them" and "get a bit of revenge."
"Just to see the look of fear in their faces, that's all," Farooq added. "I look after patients, that's my job, I don't want to hurt more people and send them to hospital."
Related: Boston Strong: Moving Photos of the 2013 Marathon Bombing and Aftermath
According to the outlet, Farooq confided his intentions to a patient at the hospital named Nathan Newby, who told him that his plan "wasn't worth it." Then, he told Newby to "ring the police."
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After his arrest, Det Con Maisie Stevens, of West Yorkshire Police said officers found gunpowder, a blank-firing gun, nails and two knives in his posession and other weapons in his home in Leeds.
Upon searching the property, they also found ingredients for explosives and "numerous fuses."
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