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Family Snapshot

An ex- military sergeant has been ordered to serve half a year in custody for committing sexual assault against a teenage servicewoman who later died by suicide.

Warrant Officer the former sergeant, in his forties, held down soldier Jaysley Beck and tried to kiss her in July 2021. She was found dead five months later in her military accommodation at the Wiltshire base.

Webber, who was given his punishment at the military court in Wiltshire earlier, will be placed in a correctional facility and on the sexual offenders list for multiple years.

The family matriarch the mother remarked: "What he [Webber] did, and how the military did not safeguard our child afterwards, cost Jaysley her life."

Army Statement

The military leadership acknowledged it failed to hear the soldier, who was a native of Cumbria's Oxen Park, when she disclosed the incident and has expressed regret for its response to her allegations.

Subsequent to an inquest into the soldier's suicide, the accused admitted to the offense of physical violation in the autumn.

The mother stated her young woman should have been sitting with her relatives in court now, "to witness the man she accused facing consequences for the assault."

"Conversely, we stand here without her, enduring endless sorrow that no loved ones should be forced to endure," she stated further.

"She followed the rules, but the accountable parties failed in their duties. Those failures destroyed our daughter utterly."

Press Association

Court Proceedings

The judicial body was informed that the assault occurred during an adventure training exercise at the exercise site, near Emsworth in Hampshire, in July 2021.

The sergeant, a ranking soldier at the time, attempted physical intimacy towards Gunner Beck subsequent to an alcohol consumption while on deployment for a training exercise.

The victim stated Webber stated he had been "anticipating an opportunity for them to be by themselves" before grabbing her leg, holding her against her will, and trying to kiss her.

She reported the incident against the sergeant following the assault, despite attempts by commanding officers to convince her against reporting.

An inquest into her death found the Army's handling of the allegations played "more than a minimal contributory part in her death."

Family Statement

In a testimony shared to the court earlier, Ms McCready, stated: "She had just turned nineteen and will eternally stay a teenager full of vitality and joy."

"She had faith individuals to safeguard her and following the assault, the confidence was gone. She was extremely troubled and scared of Michael Webber."

"I observed the change personally. She felt helpless and deceived. That violation destroyed her faith in the system that was intended to protect her."

Judge's Statement

During sentencing, The presiding judge the judge stated: "We have to consider whether it can be handled in a different manner. We do not believe it can."

"We are satisfied the severity of the crime means it can only be dealt with by incarceration."

He spoke to the defendant: "The servicewoman had the bravery and wisdom to demand you halt and directed you to go to bed, but you carried on to the degree she felt she would remain in danger from you despite the fact she went back to her assigned barracks."

He continued: "The next morning, she disclosed the assault to her relatives, her friends and her military superiors."

"After the complaint, the military unit decided to handle the situation with light disciplinary measures."

"You were interviewed and you admitted your conduct had been unacceptable. You wrote a apology note."

"Your career continued completely unaffected and you were eventually advanced to Warrant Officer 1."

Further Details

At the formal inquiry into the soldier's suicide, the official examiner said military leadership influenced her to withdraw the complaint, and only reported it to a military leadership "after information had leaked."

At the time, the accused was given a "minimal consequence discussion" with no additional penalties.

The inquest was also told that just weeks after the violation Gunner Beck had additionally been exposed to "persistent mistreatment" by a different service member.

Bombardier Ryan Mason, her superior officer, sent her numerous SMS communications confessing his feelings for her, along with a multi-page "personal account" detailing his "personal thoughts."

Personal collection

Organizational Reaction

The armed forces said it provided its "deepest sympathies" to the servicewoman and her relatives.

"We continue to be profoundly sorry for the deficiencies that were discovered at Jaysley's inquest in winter."

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