An inquest has revealed that a soldier, distressed by her colleague’s incessant behavior, received 3,600 messages from him shortly before her death. Gunner Jaysley Beck, a 19-year-old member of the Royal Artillery, passed away in December 2021 at her base camp in Wiltshire, UK. Reports indicate she felt threatened by her supervisor, Bombardier Ryan Mason, whom she described as ‘psychotic and possessive’.
According to Sky News, Mason’s actions made Beck feel ‘trapped’ and unsafe, leading her to suspect that her phone may have been hacked by him.
During the inquest, it was disclosed that Beck sometimes chose to sleep in her car to avoid returning to her quarters, which were near her boss, after receiving a deluge of 3,600 WhatsApp messages from him in November alone.
Among the messages, Mason wrote: “Love you Jayse. As a friend.” In another, he stated: “I will always be there along for the ride with you, I have said it before but you’re stuck with me forever now. I love you x As a friend, I love you.”
In a reply on November 25, Beck expressed her discomfort, saying: “This whole falling in love with me, it’s becoming a bit too much, I have just come out of a relationship and I’m just not wanting to be involved in anything like this.
“It’s weighing me down a little bit, I’ll be totally honest with you. Totally honest here, I just don’t want to hear how you feel about me.”
She also described how her interactions with Mason were causing her distress, mentioning in another message that the conversation was ‘snapping’ her.
“I have replied to you and in the space of a couple of minutes you sent three texts and tried to phone me. Can you understand why I think it’s a bit too much?” she questioned.
Sky News highlighted that this overwhelming period of messaging, primarily occurring between October and December 2021, was identified in an Army report as an ‘almost certain’ factor contributing to Beck’s death.
Beck’s mother, Leighann McCready, testified at the Salisbury inquest, stating Mason’s behavior was intrusive and her daughter felt increasingly unsafe.
McCready recounted how her daughter had described Mason as becoming a ‘creep’ and expressed her belief that he had hacked her phone.
On December 7, McCready received a distraught call from Beck, who expressed fear for her safety. “There was a time when she was on the phone to me, and said ‘Mum I think he’s hacked my phone, because he knows exactly where I am standing and he’s meant to be away’,” she detailed.
A draft text message drafted by Beck, presumably intended for Mason, was read at the inquest.
“I honestly feel trapped in this whole situation, I have tried to act as normal as possible because we are working together but nothing normal about this situation,” she wrote.
“It’s possessive and psychotic, you have to understand it’s not normal behaviour.
“I am struggling to deal with all of this, it’s taking a huge toll on my own mental health for many personal reasons. I need time out.”
Bombardier John Wheeler, who was close to Beck, testified at the inquest. He characterized her as a ‘bubbly person’ who had become increasingly despondent prior to her death, as noted by the BBC.
The Army service inquiry report, released in October 2023, mentioned a prior assault complaint by Beck, which may have discouraged her from reporting subsequent incidents.
It was alleged that during a team-building stay in Hampshire in July 2021, an individual placed his hand between her legs, and she received an apology letter following this incident, with the sergeant facing minor disciplinary action.
The ongoing inquest also noted that Beck had no history of mental health issues and had not sought welfare support.