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An ex- military sergeant has been given six months in prison for attacking a teenage servicewoman who subsequently took her own life.

Warrant Officer the former sergeant, in his forties, restrained Royal Artillery Gunner the young woman and sought to make physical contact in the summer of 2021. She was found dead five months later in her barracks at Larkhill military installation.

The defendant, who was sentenced at the military court in the Wiltshire region earlier, will be sent to a public jail and listed on sex offenders register for seven years.

The family matriarch Leighann Mcready remarked: "The assault, and how the armed forces failed to protect our daughter afterwards, cost Jaysley her life."

Official Reaction

The military leadership said it did not listen to the servicewoman, who was hailing from Oxen Park in Cumbria, when she filed the complaint and has said sorry for its management of her allegations.

Following an inquest into the soldier's suicide, the accused pleaded guilty to a single charge of unwanted sexual advance in last fall.

Ms McCready stated her child ought to have been present with her family in the courtroom this day, "to witness the individual she reported brought to justice for what he did."

"Conversely, we are present without her, facing perpetual grief that no loved ones should be forced to endure," she continued.

"She complied with procedures, but those responsible neglected their responsibilities. Those failures broke our young woman completely."

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Judicial Process

The judicial body was told that the incident happened during an adventure training exercise at Thorney Island, near the Hampshire area, in July 2021.

The sergeant, a senior officer at the moment, initiated inappropriate contact towards Gunner Beck subsequent to an evening of drinking while on deployment for a field training.

The victim claimed Webber remarked he had been "seeking a chance for them to be in private" before grabbing her leg, restraining her, and making unwanted advances.

She reported the incident against the sergeant subsequent to the assault, despite attempts by superiors to convince her against reporting.

An inquest into her suicide found the Army's handling of the report played "more than a minimal role in her demise."

Mother's Testimony

In a statement presented to the judicial body during proceedings, Ms McCready, expressed: "The young woman had only become nineteen and will always be a teenager full of life and laughter."

"She had faith authorities to protect her and post-incident, the trust was lost. She was very upset and terrified of the sergeant."

"I witnessed the change firsthand. She felt powerless and betrayed. That incident shattered her trust in the structure that was intended to protect her."

Sentencing Remarks

While delivering judgment, Judge Advocate General the magistrate stated: "We need to assess whether it can be addressed in a different manner. We are not convinced it can."

"We are satisfied the gravity of the violation means it can only be addressed by immediate custody."

He spoke to Webber: "The victim had the courage and good sense to tell you to stop and directed you to leave the area, but you persisted to the point she felt she wouldn't be safe from you even when she returned to her assigned barracks."

He stated further: "The following day, she reported the incident to her relatives, her acquaintances and her military superiors."

"Subsequent to the allegations, the unit chose to address your behavior with minor administrative action."

"You underwent questioning and you admitted your behavior had been unacceptable. You prepared a written apology."

"Your professional path proceeded without interruption and you were in due course elevated to senior position."

Additional Context

At the investigation into the tragic passing, the official examiner said Capt James Hook influenced her to cease proceedings, and just informed it to a military leadership "once details became known."

At the time, Webber was given a "light disciplinary meeting" with no additional penalties.

The inquest was further advised that only a short time after the assault the soldier had also been facing "persistent mistreatment" by another soldier.

Bombardier Ryan Mason, her commanding individual, transmitted to her over four thousand six hundred text messages declaring attachments for her, in addition to a multi-page "romantic narrative" describing his "personal thoughts."

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Official Statement

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

"We continue to be deeply apologetic for the shortcomings that were identified at the official inquiry in winter."

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