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A former Army sergeant major has been sentenced to six months in prison for sexually assaulting a teenage female soldier who tragically took her own life later. Warrant Officer Michael Webber, 43, was found guilty of pinning down Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck and attempting to kiss her at a social event in July 2021. The 19-year-old soldier was discovered dead five months later on December 15 at her barracks in Larkhill, Wiltshire. Her mother, Leighann McCready, expressed that the actions of Webber and the Army’s failure to protect her daughter ultimately led to Jaysley losing her life.
During sentencing at the Court Martial Centre in Bulford, Wiltshire, Webber was sentenced to six months in a civilian jail and was ordered to register as a sex offender for seven years. This followed an inquest into Gunner Beck’s untimely death, during which Webber had pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault in September. McCready lamented the absence of her daughter in court, noting that the family now faces a lifelong sentence due to the devastating impact of the assault and subsequent events.
Gunner Beck’s mother highlighted the significant change in her daughter’s demeanor following the assault, stating that she felt powerless and betrayed by the system that was designed to protect her. Despite filing a complaint against Webber following the incident, Gunner Beck was met with resistance by superiors who urged her to drop the allegations. The inquest into her death concluded that the Army’s mishandling of the complaint played a significant role in the series of events that led to her tragic passing.
The Ministry of Defence condemned the “unacceptable and criminal behavior” within the Armed Forces, emphasizing that there is no place for such actions. In response to the case, the Army introduced the Defence Serious Crime Command in 2022 as part of a broader reform of the military justice system. This initiative aims to independently investigate and prosecute serious crimes, providing a secure avenue for reporting such incidents separate from the chain of command
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