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Probation Officer's Fight for Life After Brutal Attack
7 Feb
Summary
- Probation officer Natasha Thorpe survived four stab wounds from a client.
- Attacker Ryan Gee received a life sentence for attempted murder.
- The attack highlights risks faced by probation officers nationwide.
Last year, probation officer Natasha Thorpe endured a terrifying eight-minute ordeal when client Ryan Gee attacked her with knives and a gun in her Preston office. Thorpe, a mother of two, sustained four stab wounds but fought for her life, drawing strength from thoughts of her children.
Gee, a career criminal and convicted paedophile, was jailed for life for attempted murder, with a minimum of 16 years before parole eligibility. This incident, along with another stabbing of a probation worker in Oxford just four months later, has prompted a national review of security measures.
Recommendations include providing staff with bleed kits, personal safety training, and body cameras. Pilot schemes for enhanced security at probation offices, such as knife arches and metal detectors, are also being considered. However, the probation officers' union, Napo, expresses concern that the true scale of risks is not being adequately recorded or addressed.
