A sergeant accused of ‘pinning down and attempting to kiss’ a teenage soldier, who was later discovered deceased at her barracks, has provided an update regarding his departure from the army.
In December 2021, Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck was discovered dead at her Wiltshire army base barracks in the UK, following her complaint about a colleague’s conduct earlier in the year.
During the inquest, it was revealed that Gunner Beck had filed a complaint against Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber in July 2021, after an adventure training exercise at Thorney Island, near Emsworth in Hampshire.
The 19-year-old had reportedly confided to a friend that ‘something happened that night.’
Her friend, Lance Bombardier Kirsty Davis, testified at the hearing: “[Webber] was trying to kiss her and she was trying to push him away, he was pinning her down.”
“Jaysley had told him ‘no’, tried to get away from him but he had persisted so she left,” she added.
Mr Webber received a minor sanction on his record following the complaint, but the inquest heard that key details of the offense had been omitted, resulting in a ‘miscommunication’ regarding legal advice, the BBC reports.
During the hearing, Mr Webber mentioned his intention to leave the army in April but refused to answer further questions concerning the alleged incident.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged sending a letter of apology to Gunner Beck and affirmed the truth of its contents, though he declined to elaborate.
When questioned by the coroner, “You will see in the letter you describe your behaviour as ‘absolutely unacceptable’ – what was your behaviour?”, Mr Webber did not respond.
Despite the sanction, Mr Webber was promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer1 in May 2022.
Prior to her death, the teen claimed WO1 Webber had mentioned he had been ‘waiting for a moment for them to be alone’ and invited her to participate in a drinking game called Last Man Standing.
It is then alleged that the officer grabbed her leg and attempted to kiss her.
Major Robert Ronz was tasked with addressing the complaint but told the inquest he believed the incident was a ‘minor sanction territory’ at the time and opted against a formal investigation.
During his testimony, he stated he was ‘unaware of any physical contact’ due to the ‘miscommunication’ within the chain of command. Had he known, he indicated that the outcome of Mr Webber’s punishment might have differed.
UK Army policy mandates that any offense with a sexual element must be referred for legal advice and investigated by the Military Service Police, while minor sanctions have a ‘shelf life’ of two years.
In Gunner Beck’s case, the documentation of the incident concludes with the minor sanction, which cites ‘inappropriate behaviour unbecoming of a warrant officer’, according to the BBC.
A service inquiry report released in October 2023 highlighted that Gunner Beck had endured ‘an intense period of unwelcome behaviour’ and noted it was ‘almost certain this was a causal factor’ in her death.
The inquest also revealed that Gunner Beck received thousands of messages from another senior colleague, Bombardier Ryan Mason, who reportedly made the teenager feel ‘trapped’ and ‘unsafe’ at work, as reported by Sky News.
The young woman was reportedly ‘freaked out’ by her ‘obsessive’ and ‘psychotic’ superior’s conduct during which she allegedly received 3,600 messages from him in one month before her death.
She also feared that he had compromised her cell phone.
Additionally, the inquest noted three more ‘contributory factors’ to her death, including the ‘significant strain’ of a relationship with a married colleague, an ‘unfaithful’ previous relationship, and an ‘unhealthy approach to alcohol’ and ‘binge-drinking’.
The hearing is ongoing.