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An ex- Army sergeant major has been sentenced to six months in prison for sexually assaulting a young gunner who afterwards took her own life.

Sergeant Major the former sergeant, 43, pinned down service member the young woman and sought to kiss her in July 2021. She was located without signs of life half a year following in her quarters at Larkhill, Wiltshire.

Webber, who was sentenced at the Court Martial Centre in Wiltshire recently, will be placed in a civilian prison and registered as sexual offenders list for seven years.

The family matriarch Leighann Mcready remarked: "What he [Webber] did, and how the Army neglected to defend our child following the incident, cost Jaysley her life."

Military Response

The armed forces acknowledged it failed to hear Gunner Beck, who was originally from Cumbria's Oxen Park, when she filed the complaint and has expressed regret for its handling of her report.

After an inquest into the soldier's suicide, Webber confessed to a single charge of physical violation in last fall.

The mother commented her young woman should have been present with her relatives in legal proceedings now, "to witness the person she accused held accountable for his actions."

"Rather, we are present without her, enduring endless sorrow that no loved ones should ever experience," she continued.

"She complied with procedures, but the accountable parties failed in their duties. These shortcomings broke our young woman utterly."

PA

Judicial Process

The legal tribunal was told that the assault took place during an field exercise at Thorney Island, near Hampshire's Emsworth, in July 2021.

The sergeant, a ranking soldier at the moment, initiated inappropriate contact towards the servicewoman after an evening of drinking while on assignment for a field training.

The victim stated Webber said he had been "waiting for a moment for them to be alone" before grabbing her leg, pinning her down, and attempting to force intimacy.

She reported the incident against Webber after the incident, despite attempts by superiors to convince her against reporting.

An official inquiry into her death found the armed forces' response of the allegations played "an important contributory part in her death."

Mother's Testimony

In a testimony presented to the judicial body previously, the parent, expressed: "She had only become a teenager and will eternally stay a young person full of life and laughter."

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

"I observed the change before my own eyes. She felt helpless and deceived. That violation destroyed her faith in the system that was meant to protect her."

Sentencing Remarks

During sentencing, The judicial officer the magistrate remarked: "We need to assess whether it can be addressed in a different manner. We are not convinced it can."

"We are satisfied the seriousness of the crime means it can only be resolved by prison time."

He addressed the defendant: "She had the courage and good sense to instruct you to cease and instructed you to go to bed, but you persisted to the degree she felt she would remain in danger from you even when she returned to her assigned barracks."

He continued: "The next morning, she reported the incident to her family, her friends and her commanding officers."

"Subsequent to the allegations, the unit decided to deal with you with light disciplinary measures."

"You were interviewed and you admitted your actions had been inappropriate. You wrote a written apology."

"Your military service proceeded without interruption and you were in due course promoted to higher rank."

Background Information

At the inquest into Gunner Beck's death, the coroner said military leadership put pressure on her to drop the allegations, and only reported it to a military leadership "when the cat was already out of the bag."

At the period, the accused was given a "light disciplinary meeting" with no additional penalties.

The inquest was also told that only a short time after the incident the servicewoman had additionally been facing "relentless harassment" by a separate individual.

Another soldier, her commanding individual, sent her more than 4,600 digital communications declaring attachments for her, in addition to a 15-page "romantic narrative" detailing his "fantasies about her."

Family handout

Institutional Response

The armed forces stated it offered its "sincerest condolences" to the servicewoman and her relatives.

"We continue to be sincerely regretful for the failings that were identified at the formal investigation in winter."

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