"Serious wake-up call": Lawyer slams Army after Jaysley Beck sex attacker sentenced to six months in jail

Hannah Swarbrick, Partner in the Military Team at Bolt Burdon Kemp, said the sentencing of former Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber, who pinned down Jaysley Beck and tried to kiss her, was a “serious wake-up call”. The 43-year-old has been jailed for six months today after appearing before Bulford Military Court Centre in Wiltshire.

Royal Artillery Gunner Beck, 19, was attacked while attending an Army training exercise on Thorney Island near Emsworth in July 2021. Court heard she was so scared of Webber that she hid in the toilets and then slept in her car to avoid him.

After this and another incident, heard in her inquest where “possessive and psychotic” boss Bombardier Ryan Mason sent her over 4,600 messages in two months, Gnr Beck took her own life and was found dead in her room at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire on December 15, 2021.

Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg said Gnr Beck was driven to suicide by the Army's failure to deal with Webber and Bdr Mason’s behaviour. Ms Swarbrick said although the sentencing does not commensurate the harm caused to Gnr Beck’s family, she hopes it will be a deterrent to others and will serve “as a serious wake-up call for the MoD”.

“Service personnel are being consistently failed by a system that is not fit for purpose,” she added. “Action is needed to ensure that what happened to Jaysley can never happen again, and that those who speak up and raise concerns are believed and supported from the outset.

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“Individuals must be informed of their legal rights and given the option to seek legal advice. The military should not be allowed to dictate who can and can’t seek justice, and I would echo calls for serious incidents of harassment and assault to be independently investigated in the future.”

Both Gnr Beck’s parents spoke in court of the impact their daughter’s death has had on them. Mother Leighann McCready said Gnr Beck felt “powerless and betrayed” by the force, with her assault “shattering her faith in the system”. Webber received a promotion during that time, while Gnr Beck received a letter of apology from him. During her inquest, Webber refused to answer questions pertaining to the incident and her death.

Ms Swarbrick added: “Policies should be in place to protect everyone who serves and especially our young recruits. We have seen so many cases where young men and women are subjected to horrific harassment and assaults with devastating consequences. The military can’t keep failings its own personnel in this way, and I hope that we now see fundamental changes to the service justice system and complaints process."

Major General Jon Swift, Assistant Chief of the General Staff (ACGS), said: “The end of this court martial is another traumatic step in the journey for Jaysley’s family, and we acknowledge that today’s outcome has come too late for their beloved daughter. We are sorry we didn’t listen to Jaysley when she first reported her assault.

“We are determined to make sure the same mistakes don’t happen again. Since Jaysley’s death we have introduced a significant cultural reform programme, alongside the ‘Raising our Standards’ programme. We are making improvements in how we train our people in appropriate behaviours, how we assess and select our leaders, and to build the trust our people place in us to address every complaint. “