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Family Snapshot

An ex- Army sergeant major has been ordered to serve half a year in prison for committing sexual assault against a young gunner who subsequently ended her life.

Sergeant Major Michael Webber, 43, held down service member Jaysley Beck and tried to kiss her in July 2021. She was located without signs of life several months after in her quarters at the Wiltshire base.

The defendant, who was judged at the Court Martial Centre in Wiltshire previously, will be sent to a public jail and registered as sex offenders register for multiple years.

The victim's mother Ms. Mcready commented: "The assault, and how the military failed to protect our daughter following the incident, resulted in her suicide."

Military Response

The armed forces acknowledged it failed to hear Gunner Beck, who was hailing from Cumbria's Oxen Park, when she filed the complaint and has expressed regret for its handling of her complaint.

Following a formal inquiry regarding Gunner Beck's death, Webber admitted to the offense of unwanted sexual advance in September.

The mother said her child could have been present with her relatives in the courtroom today, "to witness the man she filed against facing consequences for what he did."

"Instead, we stand here without her, enduring endless sorrow that no loved ones should ever experience," she stated further.

"She followed the rules, but the accountable parties didn't follow theirs. Those failures destroyed our daughter totally."

PA

Judicial Process

The court was advised that the assault occurred during an field exercise at Thorney Island, near Hampshire's Emsworth, in mid-2021.

Webber, a senior officer at the time, attempted physical intimacy towards the servicewoman after an alcohol consumption while on duty for a training exercise.

Gunner Beck claimed the sergeant said he had been "seeking a chance for them to be by themselves" before taking hold of her, holding her against her will, and trying to kiss her.

She reported the incident against Webber subsequent to the incident, regardless of pressure by superiors to discourage her.

An official inquiry into her passing found the armed forces' response of the allegations played "an important role in her demise."

Mother's Testimony

In a statement presented to the court earlier, the parent, said: "Our daughter had just turned 19 and will forever remain a teenager full of energy and happiness."

"She believed individuals to protect her and after what he did, the confidence was shattered. She was extremely troubled and terrified of Michael Webber."

"I witnessed the change before my own eyes. She felt vulnerable and abandoned. That assault destroyed her faith in the structure that was intended to protect her."

Judge's Statement

When announcing the verdict, Judge Advocate General Alan Large stated: "We need to assess whether it can be handled in an alternative approach. We are not convinced it can."

"We have determined the seriousness of the violation means it can only be addressed by incarceration."

He spoke to the convicted individual: "She had the strength and intelligence to tell you to stop and directed you to go to bed, but you persisted to the degree she considered she could not feel secure from you even if she went back to her assigned barracks."

He added: "The subsequent morning, she made the complaint to her relatives, her companions and her commanding officers."

"Subsequent to the allegations, the unit decided to deal with you with light disciplinary measures."

"You were subject to inquiry and you accepted your behavior had been improper. You wrote a apology note."

"Your military service proceeded unimpeded and you were eventually promoted to higher rank."

Additional Context

At the formal inquiry into the soldier's suicide, the coroner said military leadership influenced her to cease proceedings, and only reported it to a higher command "once details became known."

At the time, the sergeant was given a "light disciplinary meeting" with no serious repercussions.

The inquiry was further advised that only a short time after the violation Gunner Beck had also been facing "persistent mistreatment" by a separate individual.

Another soldier, her commanding individual, transmitted to her more than 4,600 SMS communications confessing his feelings for her, along with a 15-page "romantic narrative" outlining his "personal thoughts."

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Official Statement

The military leadership stated it provided its "heartfelt apologies" to the servicewoman and her relatives.

"We remain deeply apologetic for the shortcomings that were noted at the official inquiry in early this year."

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