Sergeant admits s3xually assaulting 19-year-old soldier who took her life after he pinned her down and tried to k!ss her
A former British Army sergeant has admitted to s3xually assaulting teenage soldier Jaysley Beck, whose death in 2021 was later linked to the Army’s mishandling of her complaint.
Beck, a 19-year-old Royal Artillery gunner, was found dead in her barracks at Larkhill, Wiltshire, on December 15, 2021, shortly after reporting Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber for inappropriate behaviour.
Webber, who has since left the Army, pleaded guilty at a pre-trial hearing to s3xually assaulting Beck during a social event, where he pinned her down and attempted to kiss her. An inquest earlier this year concluded that the Army’s failure to properly escalate her complaint played “more than a minimal contributory part” in her death.
Her mother, Leighann McCready, welcomed Webber’s guilty plea but condemned the systemic failures that followed her daughter’s report. “We are relieved he has admitted his guilt and spared us further legal trauma, but nothing can undo the devastating loss of our beautiful daughter,” she said.
The inquest revealed that Beck reported the assault immediately and on more than one occasion, despite attempts by senior officers to dissuade her. Captain James Hook was found to have pressured her to drop the allegations and only reported them higher up the chain once the matter was already circulating.
Compounding the failure, critical details of Beck’s account, including Webber’s attempt to place his hand between her legs, were not passed on. Instead, the incident was recorded as “inappropriate behaviour unbecoming of a warrant officer.” Webber faced only a minor administrative interview at the time.
The inquest also heard that Beck endured further distress in the weeks following the assault, facing relentless harassment from Bombardier Ryan Mason, her line manager, who sent more than 4,600 text messages and a 15-page “love story” expressing his obsession with her.
McCready said her daughter had “done everything right” but was failed at every turn. “If the Army had simply reported the assault to police when Jaysley told them, we believe she would still be with us today,” she said.
Following the inquest, Wiltshire Police reviewed the case and handed it to the Service Prosecuting Authority, which ultimately brought charges against Webber.
The Army has since apologised to Beck’s family, admitting it “could have and should have done more.” Officials say new policies now enforce a zero-tolerance stance on s3xual misconduct.
Emma Norton, the family’s solicitor, described Webber’s guilty plea as a relief but criticised the Army’s initial response. “What an enormous difference it would have made if the chain of command had listened to Jaysley from the beginning and treated her complaint with the seriousness it deserved,” she said.
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