Ex-Army Sergeant Major Admits Sexual Assault on Soldier Who Later Died by Suicide
A former Royal Artillery sergeant major has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a young soldier whose tragic death has sent shockwaves through the military community.
Senior Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber admitted to one count of sexual assault during a pre-trial hearing on Friday.
The victim, 19- time-old Gunner Jaysley Beck, took her own life after feeling pressured and unsubstantiated following the incident.
Gunner Beck was hanged in her barracks at Larkhill Camp, Wiltshire, on 15 December 2021.
She had reported the assault after Mr Webber allegedly tried to jump her down and kiss her at a social work event.
At an inquest earlier this year, it was revealed the assault left her “frightened and in tears.”
In a statement, her mother, Leighann McCready, expressed mixed relief and grief: “We are relieved that Michael Webber has admitted his guilt and not put us through the trauma of yet more legal proceedings, but nothing can undo the devastating loss of our beautiful daughter Jaysley.”
Ms McCready highlighted the failures of the system, saying her daughter had followed all procedures: “She reported the assault immediately, not once but twice, which was never reported to the police.
If they had done that one simple thing, we believe with all our hearts she would still be with us today.”
The assistant coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon, Nicholas Rheinberg, ruled that the Army’s handling of the complaint, a “minor administrative action” rather than a criminal investigation, was “more than a minimal contributory factor” in Gunner Beck’s death.
Despite the severity of the allegations, Mr Webber initially faced only a minor administrative interview, with no further consequences.
It was only after the inquest and the family’s appeal to Wiltshire Police that criminal proceedings began, culminating in Friday’s guilty plea.
The inquest also revealed the additional pressures Gunner Beck faced from her chain of command. Major James Hook, then a captain, was reported to have discouraged her from reporting the assault.
He later defended his actions, claiming she wanted no harm to come to Mr Webber’s career.
“There was absolutely no motive to protect anybody who was accused,” Major Hook told the coroner.
The report further detailed the troubling behaviour of Bombardier Ryan Mason, a line manager who had sent Gunner Beck over 4,500 WhatsApp messages expressing possessive and obsessive feelings.
She had confided in her family about his “possessive and psychotic” behaviour before her death.
Brigadier Melissa Emmett, Head of Army Personnel Services Group, issued an apology after the inquest: “I wish to extend the Army’s deepest condolences to Jaysley’s family and friends and to offer them our sincerest apologies for the failings that the Coroner has identified during this inquest; we should have done so much more to support and protect her.”
Emma Norton, solicitor for Gunner Beck’s family, added: “What an enormous difference it would have made if the Army and its chain of command had just listened to Jaysley when she first told them about the assault and reported it to the police, instead of trying to persuade her it wasn’t that serious.”
Gunner Jaysley Beck’s case has reignited calls for reform within the military to ensure that sexual assault complaints are handled properly and victims are protected.
The case comes amid wider concerns about how the armed forces manage allegations, similar to the recent case where footballer Thomas Partey was released on bail amid serious sexual offence allegations. Sentencing for Mr Webber is pending.
