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A former Army sergeant major has been given six months in custody for committing sexual assault against a 19-year-old soldier who later ended her life.

Sergeant Major the former sergeant, forty-three, held down Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck and tried to make physical contact in the summer of 2021. She was discovered deceased half a year following in her military accommodation at the Wiltshire base.

Webber, who was judged at the legal proceedings in the Wiltshire region earlier, will be placed in a correctional facility and listed on offender database for seven years.

Gunner Beck's mother the mother stated: "What he [Webber] did, and how the armed forces failed to protect our daughter subsequently, resulted in her suicide."

Official Reaction

The armed forces acknowledged it did not listen to the soldier, who was originally from Cumbria's Oxen Park, when she reported the assault and has expressed regret for its response to her report.

Following a formal inquiry regarding Gunner Beck's death, Webber admitted to a single charge of sexual assault in the autumn.

The grieving parent commented her child could have been alongside her family in court this day, "to observe the man she filed against brought to justice for his actions."

"Conversely, we appear missing her, living a life sentence that no loved ones should be forced to endure," she added.

"She complied with procedures, but the individuals in charge neglected their responsibilities. Such negligence destroyed our daughter utterly."

Press Association

Legal Hearing

The judicial body was told that the incident occurred during an field exercise at the exercise site, near the Hampshire area, in July 2021.

The sergeant, a Sergeant Major at the time, attempted physical intimacy towards Gunner Beck subsequent to an evening of drinking while on duty for a training exercise.

The victim claimed Webber remarked he had been "anticipating an opportunity for them to be in private" before taking hold of her, restraining her, and attempting to force intimacy.

She made official allegations against Webber after the violation, despite attempts by superiors to convince her against reporting.

An inquest into her suicide found the armed forces' response of the allegations played "a significant role in her suicide."

Mother's Testimony

In a testimony shared to the tribunal earlier, the mother, said: "Our daughter had just turned 19 and will always be a teenager full of energy and happiness."

"She believed people to defend her and following the assault, the faith was lost. She was extremely troubled and scared of the sergeant."

"I saw the change firsthand. She felt vulnerable and abandoned. That incident shattered her faith in the structure that was intended to look after her."

Sentencing Remarks

While delivering judgment, The presiding judge the judge said: "We must evaluate whether it can be handled in a different manner. We do not believe it can."

"We have determined the seriousness of the crime means it can only be dealt with by incarceration."

He addressed the convicted individual: "The servicewoman had the bravery and wisdom to demand you halt and directed you to leave the area, but you continued to the degree she felt she could not feel secure from you even if she went back to her assigned barracks."

He added: "The next morning, she disclosed the assault to her family, her companions and her commanding officers."

"Following the report, the military unit decided to address your behavior with light disciplinary measures."

"You were subject to inquiry and you accepted your behavior had been inappropriate. You wrote a letter of apology."

"Your career continued unimpeded and you were eventually advanced to senior position."

Further Details

At the investigation into Gunner Beck's death, the coroner said a commanding officer put pressure on her to withdraw the complaint, and merely disclosed it to a higher command "once details became known."

At the time, the accused was given a "minimal consequence discussion" with no serious repercussions.

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

Bombardier Ryan Mason, her commanding individual, transmitted to her numerous SMS communications confessing his feelings for her, accompanied by a fifteen-page "personal account" detailing his "fantasies about her."

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Official Statement

The armed forces expressed it provided its "heartfelt apologies" to the servicewoman and her loved ones.

"We remain deeply apologetic for the deficiencies that were noted at the formal investigation in winter."

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