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Family Snapshot

A former Army sergeant major has been given six months in prison for sexually assaulting a young gunner who later died by suicide.

Sergeant Major the former sergeant, forty-three, held down soldier Jaysley Beck and sought to force a kiss on her in July 2021. She was discovered deceased half a year following in her military accommodation at the Wiltshire base.

Webber, who was judged at the military court in Wiltshire earlier, will be sent to a public jail and registered as offender database for multiple years.

Gunner Beck's mother Leighann Mcready stated: "The assault, and how the military neglected to defend our daughter following the incident, resulted in her suicide."

Army Statement

The Army said it did not listen to Gunner Beck, who was hailing from the Cumbrian village, when she reported the assault and has said sorry for its handling of her report.

Following an inquest into the tragic death, Webber admitted to the offense of physical violation in the autumn.

The mother said her young woman could have been present with her relatives in legal proceedings today, "to see the individual she accused held accountable for the assault."

"Conversely, we appear in her absence, living a life sentence that no family should ever have to face," she stated further.

"She adhered to protocols, but those responsible failed in their duties. These shortcomings broke our young woman utterly."

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Judicial Process

The judicial body was advised that the violation occurred during an military training at the training location, near Hampshire's Emsworth, in July 2021.

The sergeant, a ranking soldier at the period, initiated inappropriate contact towards the soldier after an alcohol consumption while on assignment for a field training.

Gunner Beck stated the sergeant said he had been "anticipating an opportunity for them to be alone" before grabbing her leg, restraining her, and attempting to force intimacy.

She reported the incident against the accused following the assault, regardless of pressure by commanding officers to discourage her.

An inquest into her passing found the Army's handling of the complaint played "a significant contributing factor in her demise."

Family Statement

In a account shared to the judicial body earlier, the mother, stated: "She had recently celebrated a teenager and will forever remain a youth full of vitality and joy."

"She had faith individuals to defend her and following the assault, the faith was shattered. She was deeply distressed and terrified of the sergeant."

"I saw the transformation personally. She felt vulnerable and abandoned. That violation shattered her trust in the set-up that was intended to safeguard her."

Judge's Statement

During sentencing, Judge Advocate General the magistrate stated: "We must evaluate whether it can be addressed in an alternative approach. We are not convinced it can."

"We conclude the gravity of the crime means it can only be resolved by immediate custody."

He told Webber: "The servicewoman had the courage and good sense to instruct you to cease and told you to leave the area, but you continued to the point she felt she would remain in danger from you even when she went back to her personal quarters."

He stated further: "The next morning, she reported the incident to her loved ones, her acquaintances and her military superiors."

"After the complaint, the unit opted to address your behavior with minimal consequences."

"You underwent questioning and you accepted your conduct had been inappropriate. You wrote a letter of apology."

"Your military service proceeded completely unaffected and you were in due course elevated to Warrant Officer 1."

Additional Context

At the formal inquiry into Gunner Beck's death, the coroner said Capt James Hook influenced her to withdraw the complaint, and merely disclosed it to a higher command "once details became known."

At the time, the sergeant was given a "minimal consequence discussion" with no further consequences.

The inquest was also told that mere weeks after the violation the servicewoman had further been subjected to "relentless harassment" by another soldier.

A separate service member, her line manager, sent her over four thousand six hundred SMS communications confessing his feelings for her, in addition to a 15-page "love story" detailing his "imagined scenarios."

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Official Statement

The Army said it provided its "sincerest condolences" to the servicewoman and her relatives.

"We will always be sincerely regretful for the failings that were noted at the formal investigation in early this year."

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