Former Sergeant Major Jailed for Sexual Assault on Young Soldier
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An ex- Army sergeant major has been given six months in jail for attacking a teenage servicewoman who afterwards ended her life.
Sergeant Major Michael Webber, 43, held down soldier the victim and tried to force a kiss on her in July 2021. She was discovered deceased several months after in her barracks at the Wiltshire base.
Webber, who was sentenced at the military court in Wiltshire earlier, will be placed in a correctional facility and registered as sex offenders register for a seven-year period.
The family matriarch the mother remarked: "His actions, and how the Army did not safeguard our daughter following the incident, resulted in her suicide."
Army Statement
The Army acknowledged it failed to hear Gunner Beck, who was originally from the Cumbrian village, when she reported the assault and has apologised for its handling of her allegations.
Following an investigation of Gunner Beck's death, the defendant admitted to one count of physical violation in the autumn.
The mother commented her young woman should have been sitting with her loved ones in court now, "to see the person she filed against brought to justice for his actions."
"Instead, we stand here without her, living a life sentence that no family should ever experience," she stated further.
"She followed the rules, but the individuals in charge didn't follow theirs. Those failures broke our young woman completely."
PA
Legal Hearing
The court was told that the violation occurred during an adventure training exercise at the training location, near the Hampshire area, in summer 2021.
The sergeant, a senior officer at the time, attempted physical intimacy towards the soldier following an alcohol consumption while on assignment for a training exercise.
The victim stated the sergeant remarked he had been "anticipating an opportunity for them to be alone" before grabbing her leg, pinning her down, and making unwanted advances.
She filed a complaint against Webber subsequent to the assault, regardless of pressure by superiors to convince her against reporting.
A formal investigation into her passing found the Army's handling of the complaint played "more than a minimal contributing factor in her demise."
Mother's Testimony
In a statement read out to the court during proceedings, Ms McCready, said: "She had recently celebrated 19 and will always be a teenager full of energy and happiness."
"She believed people to protect her and following the assault, the faith was gone. She was deeply distressed and terrified of the sergeant."
"I observed the difference before my own eyes. She felt helpless and deceived. That incident shattered her trust in the set-up that was intended to look after her."
Judge's Statement
When announcing the verdict, The presiding judge the magistrate stated: "We have to consider whether it can be dealt with in a different manner. We do not consider it can."
"We conclude the seriousness of the offence means it can only be resolved by immediate custody."
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 carried on to the degree she considered she wouldn't be safe from you despite the fact she went back to her personal quarters."
He continued: "The following day, she made the complaint to her loved ones, her friends and her military superiors."
"After the complaint, the military unit chose to handle the situation with minimal consequences."
"You underwent questioning and you accepted your behavior had been inappropriate. You composed a written apology."
"Your career proceeded unimpeded and you were in due course promoted to higher rank."
Further Details
At the inquest into Gunner Beck's death, the investigating officer said Capt James Hook influenced her to cease proceedings, and only reported it to a higher command "after information had leaked."
At the period, the sergeant was given a "minimal consequence discussion" with no serious repercussions.
The inquest was further advised that mere weeks after the incident the servicewoman had also been subjected to "persistent mistreatment" by a different service member.
Bombardier Ryan Mason, her line manager, transmitted to her numerous text messages declaring attachments for her, accompanied by a 15-page "personal account" detailing his "imagined scenarios."
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Institutional Response
The military leadership stated it offered its "sincerest condolences" to the servicewoman and her relatives.
"We will always be sincerely regretful for the deficiencies that were identified at Jaysley's inquest in February."
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