Gunner Jaysley Beck, a 19-year-old soldier who was found dead in her barracks at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire on December 15, 2021, following a Christmas party, had reportedly told a colleague about a senior officer who “pinned her down” and tried to kiss her, an inquest into her death has been told. The teenager had lodged a complaint against Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber following an incident at a work social event where they had been drinking together all night. Another colleague, Lance Bombardier Kirsty Davis, revealed at the inquest that Gunner Beck had been calling her from her car out of fear, sleeping in her car overnight, and adding that Mr Webber “tried to force himself on her more than once, a few times.”
An adventure training exercise at Thorney Island, near Emsworth in Hampshire, was where the incident in question occurred in July 2021. Captain James Hook, who led the event, stated that it was an opportunity to “rebuild relationships” after Covid-19 restrictions had eased. At this gathering, Gunner Beck and Mr Webber were left drinking together alone. This caused great distress for Gunner Beck, as her phone calls to Lance Bombardier Davis revealed the extent of the incident that had kept her frightened and in tears all night.
Gunner Beck did file a complaint over Mr Webber, who now holds the rank of Warrant Officer 2. He received a minor sanction and wrote a letter of apology to her, stating that his “door was open” for her. An Army service inquiry report published in October 2023 suggested that this was “possibly a factor that may have influenced her failure to report other events that happened subsequently.” Three additional factors – including a “significant strain” of a sexual relationship with a married colleague in the last few weeks of her life, episodes of binge drinking, and repeated allegations of unfaithfulness on the part of the boyfriend, added to the already troubling situation. Gunner Beck’s family remembered her as having had a “bubbly personality that really shone through” who was “proud to be a soldier.”
At the inquest into Gunner Beck’s death, the soldiers who had known her described their experiences with her while they served together. Lance Corporal Drew Tudor stated that he found Gunner Beck sleeping in her car the next morning when he tried to wake his colleagues for a training day. He said that when he saw Gunner Beck in distress and she confided in him that Mr Webber had done something to her, he encouraged her to speak out against him even though she hesitated. On the other hand, Lance Bombardier Davis explained that Gunner Beck did not want to be regarded as the wrongdoer and was afraid of receiving backlash if Mr Webber lost his job as a result of the complaint. They added that reports and rumours about female soldiers were blown out of proportion and that there would have been hatred towards Gunner Beck if she had spoken up
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