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A former Army sergeant major has been ordered to serve six months in prison for attacking a 19-year-old soldier who later took her own life.

Warrant Officer Michael Webber, in his forties, pinned down soldier the victim and tried to make physical contact in mid-2021. She was discovered deceased several months after in her military accommodation at Larkhill, Wiltshire.

The convicted individual, who was sentenced at the legal proceedings in Wiltshire recently, will be placed in a correctional facility and on the sex offenders register for a seven-year period.

The victim's mother the mother remarked: "The assault, and how the military did not safeguard our daughter subsequently, cost Jaysley her life."

Army Statement

The military leadership said it did not listen to Gunner Beck, who was originally from Oxen Park in Cumbria, when she reported the assault and has apologised for its handling of her allegations.

Following a formal inquiry regarding Gunner Beck's death, the accused confessed to the offense of physical violation in the autumn.

The grieving parent commented her young woman ought to have been present with her loved ones in court this day, "to see the individual she accused held accountable for the assault."

"Conversely, we stand here without her, facing perpetual grief that no relatives should ever experience," she stated further.

"She complied with procedures, but the accountable parties failed in their duties. Those failures broke our young woman totally."

PA

Court Proceedings

The judicial body was advised that the incident happened during an field exercise at Thorney Island, near the Hampshire area, in mid-2021.

The sergeant, a senior officer at the time, initiated inappropriate contact towards the soldier subsequent to an evening of drinking while on duty for a military exercise.

The victim stated the sergeant remarked he had been "waiting for a moment for them to be in private" before grabbing her leg, restraining her, and making unwanted advances.

She made official allegations against Webber subsequent to the assault, despite attempts by superiors to discourage her.

An inquest into her suicide found the armed forces' response of the allegations played "more than a minimal contributing factor in her demise."

Parent's Account

In a statement shared to the tribunal previously, Ms McCready, stated: "Our daughter had just turned nineteen and will forever remain a teenager full of life and laughter."

"She trusted authorities to defend her and after what he did, the faith was gone. She was extremely troubled and fearful of Michael Webber."

"I observed the difference firsthand. She felt vulnerable and abandoned. That violation broke her trust in the set-up that was supposed to safeguard her."

Judge's Statement

While delivering judgment, The judicial officer the judge stated: "We must evaluate whether it can be dealt with in another way. We are not convinced it can."

"We conclude the gravity of the violation means it can only be dealt with by immediate custody."

He addressed Webber: "The servicewoman had the strength and intelligence to instruct you to cease and told you to leave the area, but you persisted to the extent she believed she wouldn't be safe from you even if she went back to her own accommodation."

He stated further: "The following day, she disclosed the assault to her loved ones, her acquaintances and her commanding officers."

"After the complaint, the command chose to deal with you with light disciplinary measures."

"You were subject to inquiry and you admitted your conduct had been unacceptable. You prepared a letter of apology."

"Your military service advanced completely unaffected and you were subsequently promoted to senior position."

Additional Context

At the investigation into Gunner Beck's death, the official examiner said a commanding officer put pressure on her to drop the allegations, and merely disclosed it to a military leadership "once details became known."

At the time, Webber was given a "minor administrative action interview" with no serious repercussions.

The inquiry was also told that only a short time after the incident the servicewoman had further been subjected to "continuous bullying" by a different service member.

Bombardier Ryan Mason, her commanding individual, directed toward her more than 4,600 digital communications confessing his feelings for her, in addition to a multi-page "romantic narrative" describing his "imagined scenarios."

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Official Statement

The Army stated it offered its "deepest sympathies" to the servicewoman and her relatives.

"We will always be profoundly sorry for the shortcomings that were identified at Jaysley's inquest in February."

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