🔗 Share this article

Family Photo

A former military sergeant has been sentenced to half a year in custody for attacking a teenage servicewoman who afterwards took her own life.

Warrant Officer Michael Webber, forty-three, restrained Royal Artillery Gunner the victim and attempted 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.

The convicted individual, who was sentenced at the Court Martial Centre in the Wiltshire region previously, will be sent to a public jail and registered as offender database for seven years.

The family matriarch Leighann Mcready stated: "His actions, and how the military neglected to defend our child subsequently, led to her death."

Military Response

The Army said it did not listen to Gunner Beck, who was a native of Cumbria's Oxen Park, when she reported the assault and has apologised for its response to her allegations.

Following a formal inquiry regarding the soldier's suicide, the defendant admitted to a single charge of physical violation in September.

The mother stated her young woman ought to have been present with her family in court this day, "to witness the person she filed against held accountable for the assault."

"Rather, we stand here missing her, living a life sentence that no family should ever have to face," she stated further.

"She complied with procedures, but the accountable parties failed in their duties. Those failures broke our young woman totally."

Press Association

Judicial Process

The court was informed that the assault happened during an adventure training exercise at the exercise site, near Emsworth in Hampshire, in July 2021.

The sergeant, a ranking soldier at the period, attempted physical intimacy towards the soldier following an evening of drinking while on duty for a military exercise.

The servicewoman claimed the sergeant said he had been "anticipating an opportunity for them to be alone" before grabbing her leg, holding her against her will, and trying to kiss her.

She made official allegations against the accused following the assault, regardless of pressure by military leadership to persuade her not to.

A formal investigation into her suicide found the military's management of the report played "more than a minimal contributing factor in her suicide."

Parent's Account

In a statement presented to the tribunal during proceedings, the parent, said: "The young woman had just turned a teenager and will always be a teenager full of life and laughter."

"She trusted individuals to safeguard her and after what he did, the faith was lost. She was very upset and scared of the sergeant."

"I observed the difference firsthand. She felt vulnerable and abandoned. That incident shattered her confidence in the system that was intended to protect her."

Judge's Statement

During sentencing, The judicial officer the magistrate said: "We must evaluate whether it can be handled in an alternative approach. We are not convinced it can."

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

He spoke to Webber: "The servicewoman had the courage and good sense to instruct you to cease and told you to retire for the night, but you persisted to the point she felt she could not feel secure from you even when she retreated to her personal quarters."

He stated further: "The following day, she disclosed the assault to her loved ones, her acquaintances and her chain of command."

"Subsequent to the allegations, the command decided to deal with you with minor administrative action."

"You were subject to inquiry and you accepted your actions had been inappropriate. You composed a apology note."

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

Background Information

At the formal inquiry into the tragic passing, the investigating officer said a commanding officer put pressure on her to drop the allegations, and only reported it to a higher command "once details became known."

At the moment, the sergeant was given a "minimal consequence discussion" with no additional penalties.

The inquest was additionally informed that only a short time after the incident the servicewoman had additionally been subjected to "continuous bullying" by another soldier.

Bombardier Ryan Mason, her line manager, transmitted to her numerous digital communications confessing his feelings for her, accompanied by a multi-page "romantic narrative" describing his "personal thoughts."

Family handout

Institutional Response

The Army stated it offered its "sincerest condolences" to the soldier and her family.

"We remain profoundly sorry for the deficiencies that were noted at Jaysley's inquest in winter."

"{The end of|The conclusion of|The completion