Former Sergeant Imprisoned for Sexual Offense on 19-Year-Old Servicewoman
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An ex- Army sergeant major has been ordered to serve half a year in custody for committing sexual assault against a 19-year-old soldier who subsequently took her own life.
Warrant Officer Michael Webber, in his forties, held down Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck and sought to kiss her in the summer of 2021. She was discovered deceased five months later in her barracks at Larkhill military installation.
The convicted individual, who was sentenced at the Court Martial Centre in the Wiltshire region previously, will be placed in a civilian prison and on the sexual offenders list for seven years.
The family matriarch Ms. Mcready remarked: "The assault, and how the armed forces failed to protect our daughter afterwards, cost Jaysley her life."
Official Reaction
The military leadership said it ignored the soldier, who was hailing from Oxen Park in Cumbria, when she reported the assault and has said sorry for its handling of her report.
Subsequent to a formal inquiry regarding the soldier's suicide, Webber admitted to one count of unwanted sexual advance in the autumn.
Ms McCready commented her young woman could have been present with her family in court today, "to witness the person she reported facing consequences for what he did."
"Rather, we stand here missing her, enduring endless sorrow that no relatives should ever experience," she stated further.
"She adhered to protocols, but the individuals in charge didn't follow theirs. These shortcomings shattered our child completely."
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Judicial Process
The court was told that the violation happened during an military training at the training location, near the Hampshire area, in summer 2021.
The accused, a ranking soldier at the period, attempted physical intimacy towards the soldier following an alcohol consumption while on deployment for a field training.
The servicewoman claimed the sergeant remarked he had been "anticipating an opportunity for them to be alone" before taking hold of her, pinning her down, and attempting to force intimacy.
She reported the incident against Webber subsequent to the incident, regardless of pressure by commanding officers to discourage her.
An inquest into her death found the Army's handling of the allegations played "more than a minimal contributing factor in her demise."
Family Statement
In a statement shared to the tribunal during proceedings, the parent, said: "She had recently celebrated nineteen and will always be a youth full of vitality and joy."
"She believed authorities to defend her and following the assault, the confidence was shattered. She was extremely troubled and scared of the accused."
"I saw the transformation before my own eyes. She felt helpless and deceived. That incident destroyed her faith in the system that was supposed to safeguard her."
Sentencing Remarks
When announcing the verdict, The judicial officer the magistrate stated: "We must evaluate whether it can be dealt with in a different manner. We do not believe it can."
"We have determined the seriousness of the offence means it can only be resolved by immediate custody."
He told the defendant: "The victim had the strength and intelligence to instruct you to cease and instructed you to leave the area, but you carried on to the point she believed she could not feel secure from you despite the fact she returned to her own accommodation."
He stated further: "The following day, she disclosed the assault to her relatives, her acquaintances and her commanding officers."
"Subsequent to the allegations, the unit decided to address your behavior with light disciplinary measures."
"You were interviewed and you accepted your conduct had been inappropriate. You composed a written apology."
"Your military service continued without interruption and you were eventually advanced to Warrant Officer 1."
Additional Context
At the investigation into Gunner Beck's death, the official examiner said a commanding officer influenced her to cease proceedings, and merely disclosed it to a higher command "once details became known."
At the period, the accused was given a "light disciplinary meeting" with no serious repercussions.
The investigation was also told that only a short time after the assault the soldier had additionally been facing "continuous bullying" by a different service member.
Bombardier Ryan Mason, her line manager, sent her more than 4,600 digital communications declaring attachments for her, accompanied by a multi-page "love story" outlining his "fantasies about her."
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Institutional Response
The military leadership expressed it provided its "sincerest condolences" to Gunner Beck and her relatives.
"We continue to be deeply apologetic for the shortcomings that were identified at Jaysley's inquest in early this year."
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