A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for a pre-meditated knife attack on a probation officer that left her with serious injuries requiring six weeks of hospital treatment.
Ryan Gee, 35, of no fixed abode, pulled a large kitchen knife and black replica handgun from his rucksack during a supervision meeting at Preston Probation office in The Pavilions, Ashton-on-Ribble, on the afternoon of 22 July 2025.
The female probation officer, a woman in her 30s and mother of two, suffered serious stab wounds to her shoulder, under her armpit, stomach and chest. She required an immediate operation due to the severity of the abdominal injuries and spent six weeks in hospital.
During the attack, Gee stabbed the victim in the shoulder and under her armpit with a swinging motion before both probation officers fled. He pursued the male probation officer first, then chased the injured female officer to the reception area, where he stabbed her in the stomach.
The victim escaped to safety with assistance from staff despite her injuries. Gee then locked himself in the reception area, holding a female receptionist at gunpoint with the replica weapon, which was later identified as a BB gun, whilst retaining the knife. He told the receptionist: “He wasn’t going to harm her.”
Lancashire Police, including armed and response units, arrived within minutes of a 999 call. Officers provided first aid to the victim before Gee was tasered and arrested. When confronted by police, he stated: “You’re going to have to shoot me.”
Gee left a letter in the reception area blaming another probation officer, and a notebook was found detailing his thoughts about the probation service.
Judge Stuart Driver KC, sentencing Gee at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, 12 January 2026, stated: “She was entitled to feel safe in her work environment, but Ryan Gee chose to arm himself with a kitchen knife and an imitation firearm when attending a meeting at the probation offices and launch the attack.”
Gee had pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court on 21 August 2025. He had been attending the probation office under supervision from a previous sentence, with the male probation officer serving as his accommodation and support officer.
Martin Hill, Senior District Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: “The long-lasting physical and emotional impact of Gee’s attack cannot be overstated.”
The attack was described as pre-meditated, with Gee displaying an angry demeanour with changed behaviour before launching the assault.
