A man armed with knives and a fake gun stabbed a worker and threatened staff in a Preston probation office, leaving the victim with life-threatening injuries
Man Sentenced for Stabbing and Threatening Staff at Probation Office
This is the moment a man threatens probation office staff with a fake gun and a knife after stabbing a housing support worker in a horrific attack.
Incident Details
Ryan Gee, 35, arrived at the probation office in Preston, Lancashire, armed with two knives and an imitation firearm in July last year.
Members of staff tried to reason with Gee as he charged around the office with his weapons.
Gee launched his assault during a meeting before chasing his victim around the office.
Footage shows the moment he arrived for a meeting with Natasha Thorpe, 32, whom he would go on to stab in her chest and stomach.
Dressed in a grey hooded top and carrying an umbrella and a backpack, Gee calmly walked into the office and sat down to wait for his meeting.
Around ten minutes later, while in a private room with two probation workers, Gee began his attack.
Assault on Staff
He pulled two large kitchen knives from his bag and lunged at the workers sitting across the table from him.
Terrified, the staff members tried to escape as Gee lifted an imitation firearm from his bag.
Now armed with the two large blades and the fake gun, Gee stabbed Natasha under the arm and stormed around the office with the weapons.
He chased Natasha to the reception desk before stabbing her again.
His victim was hurriedly led to another part of the building by heroic colleagues while others distracted Gee and tried to reason with him.
Terrifying footage shows the still-armed Gee advancing on staff members with the weapons in his hands before his rampage ended.
Police Response
Cops armed with assault rifles arrived at the chaotic scene within minutes of a 999 call being made and stormed the building.
Gee was pacing around the reception office when police arrived.
The officers took him into custody, ordering the 35-year-old to drop his weapons at gunpoint.
Gee reportedly demanded, “shoot me, just shoot me” before he was incapacitated with a Taser discharge.
One of the cops provided first aid to the injured woman while another cuffed Gee.
Legal Proceedings
Gee has since pleaded guilty to premeditated assault and has been jailed for a minimum of 16 years at Liverpool Crown Court.
The thug also admitted possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, false imprisonment, threatening another with an offensive weapon, and two counts of possession of a bladed article.
It was later discovered that the firearm he wielded was a BB gun.
A court heard he had been “angry from the outset” during his private interview with the probation workers.
Gee had extensive involvement with the Probation Service following a conviction in April 2023 for causing a child under 13 to watch a sexual act.
Officers seized a letter Gee left in the reception office, addressed to one of the workers, saying the staff member was partly responsible for his actions.
Victim’s Condition
Natasha Thorpe was taken to Royal Preston Hospital where she was treated for four stab wounds.
Gee’s assault on the housing support worker left her with life-threatening injuries.
She was discharged from the hospital six weeks later following extensive surgeries.
A victim impact statement read in court from the probation office staff member said: “I play the events of that day continuously over and over in my head, on a constant loop that I cannot escape from.”
“It consumes me. I find myself catastrophising every situation, constantly scanning rooms for exits in case I need to escape.”
“What was once ordinary now feels unsafe.”
