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An ex- military sergeant has been ordered to serve half a year in prison for sexually assaulting a teenage servicewoman who subsequently ended her life.

Sergeant Major Michael Webber, 43, pinned down Royal Artillery Gunner the victim and attempted to make physical contact in July 2021. She was located without signs of life five months later in her military accommodation at Larkhill, Wiltshire.

Webber, who was given his punishment at the Court Martial Centre in Wiltshire earlier, will be sent to a correctional facility and listed on sexual offenders list for multiple years.

The family matriarch Leighann Mcready stated: "The assault, and how the military neglected to defend our daughter following the incident, cost Jaysley her life."

Military Response

The armed forces acknowledged it failed to hear the soldier, who was hailing from Cumbria's Oxen Park, when she filed the complaint and has apologised for its management of her allegations.

Subsequent to an investigation of Gunner Beck's death, the accused confessed to the offense of physical violation in the autumn.

The grieving parent commented her young woman could have been alongside her family in the courtroom now, "to witness the person she filed against facing consequences for the assault."

"Rather, we are present missing her, facing perpetual grief that no loved ones should be forced to endure," she stated further.

"She followed the rules, but the individuals in charge neglected their responsibilities. Those failures broke our young woman utterly."

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Legal Hearing

The legal tribunal was told that the violation occurred during an field exercise at the training location, near Emsworth in Hampshire, in July 2021.

The sergeant, a senior officer at the time, initiated inappropriate contact towards the soldier following an social gathering while on deployment for a training exercise.

Gunner Beck claimed the accused said he had been "anticipating an opportunity for them to be in private" before taking hold of her, pinning her down, and attempting to force intimacy.

She filed a complaint against Webber following the assault, notwithstanding efforts by superiors to persuade her not to.

A formal investigation into her passing found the military's management of the complaint played "a significant contributory part in her demise."

Mother's Testimony

In a account presented to the tribunal earlier, Ms McCready, stated: "The young woman had just turned 19 and will eternally stay a young person full of energy and happiness."

"She had faith people to protect her and following the assault, the confidence was lost. She was very upset and scared of the sergeant."

"I witnessed the change before my own eyes. She felt vulnerable and abandoned. That assault destroyed her confidence in the structure that was intended to safeguard her."

Judge's Statement

When announcing the verdict, The judicial officer the judge remarked: "We have to consider whether it can be dealt with in another way. We do not believe it can."

"We have determined the gravity of the offence means it can only be addressed by immediate custody."

He told Webber: "She had the strength and intelligence to instruct you to cease and told you to retire for the night, but you carried on to the extent she considered she wouldn't be safe from you even when she returned to her personal quarters."

He stated further: "The following day, she made the complaint to her relatives, her friends and her chain of command."

"Subsequent to the allegations, the command decided to deal with you with minimal consequences."

"You were interviewed and you acknowledged your behavior had been unacceptable. You prepared a letter of apology."

"Your military service advanced unimpeded and you were in due course promoted to Warrant Officer 1."

Additional Context

At the inquest into Gunner Beck's death, the official examiner said military leadership pressured her to drop the allegations, and merely disclosed it to a superior officers "when the cat was already out of the bag."

At the period, Webber was given a "light disciplinary meeting" with no further consequences.

The inquiry was additionally informed that mere weeks after the violation Gunner Beck had also been facing "persistent mistreatment" by a different service member.

Bombardier Ryan Mason, her line manager, directed toward her over four thousand six hundred text messages declaring attachments for her, accompanied by a fifteen-page "romantic narrative" describing his "personal thoughts."

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Official Statement

The military leadership expressed it extended its "deepest sympathies" to Gunner Beck and her family.

"We continue to be sincerely regretful for the failings that were noted at the formal investigation in early this year."

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