🔗 Share this article

Family Snapshot

An ex- service sergeant has been ordered to serve half a year in custody for attacking a teenage servicewoman who later ended her life.

Sergeant Major Michael Webber, in his forties, held down soldier the victim and attempted to force a kiss on her in July 2021. She was found dead five months later in her quarters at the Wiltshire base.

Webber, who was judged at the legal proceedings in the Wiltshire region recently, will be transferred to a civilian prison and listed on offender database for seven years.

The family matriarch the mother stated: "His actions, and how the armed forces failed to protect our young woman afterwards, cost Jaysley her life."

Army Statement

The armed forces stated it ignored the servicewoman, who was originally from the Cumbrian village, when she reported the assault and has apologised for its handling of her allegations.

Following a formal inquiry regarding the soldier's suicide, Webber confessed to one count of sexual assault in last fall.

Ms McCready commented her daughter should have been alongside her family in court now, "to observe the man she filed against brought to justice for his actions."

"Conversely, we are present missing her, living a life sentence that no loved ones should ever have to face," she stated further.

"She complied with procedures, but the individuals in charge failed in their duties. Such negligence broke our young woman completely."

PA

Judicial Process

The court was informed that the incident took place during an military training at Thorney Island, near the Hampshire area, in July 2021.

The accused, a ranking soldier at the period, initiated inappropriate contact towards Gunner Beck after an evening of drinking while on deployment for a training exercise.

Gunner Beck claimed the accused remarked he had been "anticipating an opportunity for them to be alone" before making physical contact, pinning her down, and trying to kiss her.

She reported the incident against the sergeant following the assault, notwithstanding efforts by military leadership to persuade her not to.

An official inquiry into her death found the military's management of the report played "more than a minimal contributing factor in her demise."

Parent's Account

In a account presented to the court previously, Ms McCready, said: "The young woman had only become 19 and will always be a teenager full of life and laughter."

"She had faith people to defend her and post-incident, the trust was lost. She was deeply distressed and terrified of Michael Webber."

"I witnessed the change personally. She felt helpless and deceived. That violation broke her confidence in the structure that was intended to look after her."

Judge's Statement

When announcing the verdict, Judge Advocate General the judge remarked: "We have to consider whether it can be handled in an alternative approach. We do not believe it can."

"We are satisfied the gravity of the crime means it can only be resolved by incarceration."

He told Webber: "The victim had the courage and good sense to instruct you to cease and instructed you to go to bed, but you carried on to the extent she felt she wouldn't be safe from you even if she went back to her personal quarters."

He stated further: "The following day, she reported the incident to her family, her acquaintances and her commanding officers."

"After the complaint, the command chose to deal with you with minor administrative action."

"You were subject to inquiry and you accepted your behavior had been unacceptable. You prepared a written apology."

"Your professional path advanced without interruption and you were eventually promoted to senior position."

Background Information

At the formal inquiry into the soldier's suicide, the coroner said military leadership influenced her to cease proceedings, and just informed it to a military leadership "when the cat was already out of the bag."

At the time, the accused was given a "minimal consequence discussion" with no serious repercussions.

The inquest was further advised that just weeks after the incident the servicewoman had also been facing "continuous bullying" by a separate individual.

Another soldier, her superior officer, transmitted to her over four thousand six hundred SMS communications expressing emotions for her, accompanied by a fifteen-page "romantic narrative" describing his "personal thoughts."

Personal collection

Official Statement

The military leadership said it extended its "sincerest condolences" to Gunner Beck and her loved ones.

"We will always be profoundly sorry for the shortcomings that were discovered at Jaysley's inquest in winter."

"{The end of|The conclusion of|The completion