ARMY SHAME
Army officers face court martial over soldier, 19, who took own life after being sexually assaulted by predator sergeant
TWO army officers are to face a court martial over their handling of a sexual assault case of a 19-year-old soldier, who later took her own life.
Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck was discovered dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire on December 15, 2021.
The 19-year-old had filed a complaint against Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber, in July 2021.
Beck then took her own life after her allegations of sexual assault against her sergeant, who is now 43, were not taken seriously.
Last October, disgraced Webber was jailed for six months for sexual assault.
Now, the Service Prosecution Authority has charged two officers in Beck’s chain of command with offences related to harming military discipline.
The pair will be charged with offences under Section 19, Armed Forces Act.
It is understood Major James Hook and Colonel Samantha Shepherd, both of whom gave evidence at the inquest into Beck’s death, will face a court martial over their actions relating to the teenager.
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said: “Following an investigation by the Defence Serious Crime Command, we can confirm two individuals have been charged with offences under Section 19 of the Armed Forces Act (conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline).
“It would be inappropriate to comment further as legal proceedings are ongoing.”
The MoD has set up a serious crime command and launched a violence against women and girls taskforce, and more recently has agreed in principle to remove the handling of serious complaints from the individual services.
The assault took place at an adventure training exercise at Thorney Island, near Emsworth in Hampshire.
Beck claimed Webber told her he was waiting for a moment for them to “be alone” then engaged her in a drinking game called Last Man Standing.
She said he then grabbed her leg and tried to kiss her – despite her begging no, the court was told.
Beck pushed him away and locked herself in her car for the night before making a complaint to her superiors in the morning.
Webber received a minor sanction, involving him being interviewed and writing Gunner Beck an apology letter, but the incident was not reported to police.
Nicholas Rheinberg, assistant coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon, ruled last year that Beck died by suicide following the sex attack.
The inquest last year in Salisbury, Wiltshire, heard that Beck had spoken with Maj Hook the day after she had been assaulted by Webber.
Maj Hook, who had organised the training event at Thorney Island, believed Gunner Beck did not want to complete the couse and the allegation “was an excuse” to leave.
In his summing up of the evidence, assistant coroner Nicholas Rheinberg said: “He asked Jaysley what outcome she wanted, and she said that she did not want anything bad to happen to Webber. She did not want anything to harm his career.
“It is hardly surprising that, subsequently, Jaysley told friends that Maj Hook had accused her of lying.”
The coroner said Maj Hook left Beck to decide how she wanted to proceed.
He added: “Instead of investigating Jaysley’s complaint further, Maj Hook, having emphasised the effect that the complaint would have on Webber’s career, and having stressed the fact that there were no witnesses, told Jaysley to mull the matter over before deciding what action to take.
“On the balance of probabilities, I determine that Maj Hook informed no-one of Jaysley’s allegations until the cat was out of the bag, as it were.”
How to get help
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together,www.headstogether.org.uk
- HUMEN www.wearehumen.org
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans,www.samaritans.org, 116 123
The inquest also heard that Beck told Col Shepherd, who was the senior officer present at Thorney Island, that Webber had tried to kiss her and touch her leg.
“At the time she had not appreciated that the allegations constituted the crime of sexual assault although she did now,” the coroner said.
Webber, who has left the Army, was jailed for six months at Bulford Camp military court after he pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault.
The ex-sergeant, who placed on the sex offenders’ register for seven years, will only serve three years in jail.
An inquest into her death heard she was later inundated with messages by bombardier Ryan Mason, another senior colleague, who expressed his love for her and has since left the army.
Gunner Beck’s mother, Leighann McCready, said outside the court after Webber’s sentencing: “No sentence will ever be enough.
“While he serves his time, it’s us who will live with a life sentence for what he did. And now the army failed to protect her afterwards.”
The Army previously apologised to Jaysley’s family for “letting her down”.
It added: “We should have done so much more to support and protect her.”
