Coroner finds reaction to complaint over sergeant who 'pinned down and kissed' teen soldier 'played part' in her death
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing
Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck was 19-years-old when she was found to have died by suicide at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire on 15 December, 2021, after receiving a number of 'unwelcome' texts as well as other 'intense' and 'unwelcome' behaviour from high-ranking officers.
A coroner has found 'on the balance of probabilities' that the teenager was sexually assaulted by a senior colleague and that Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber, now of Warrant Officer 2 rank, was given a 'minor sanction' for his actions.
They also stated that the incidents should have been reported to police, and not doing so was a breach of the Army's policy.
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The coroner also found that how this was handled 'played more than a minimal contributory part in her death'.
Summing up the Salisbury inquest, Mr Nicholas Rheinberg, assistant coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon, said: "I find on the balance of probabilities that the complaint should not have been dealt with by minor administrative action, by following this route it breached Army policy as it was a sexual assault carried out on a 19-year-old Gunner by a middle-aged man of senior rank and was recorded merely as inappropriate behaviour unbecoming of a warrant officer."
Mr Rheinberg added that Gunner Beck 'was sufficiently terrified' to flee after an incident and even 'hid in the toilets' and 'took refuge in the car'.
“How Jaysley’s complaint was handled played more than a contributory part in her death,” he stated.
Mr Rheinberg went on, clarifying that ex-bombardier Ryan Mason sent 1,000 messages to Gunner Beck in October 2021 and 3,600 in November, and said it was 'difficult' to understand the full effects like this on a 'very young woman'.
He explained: "Jaysley described the bombardier’s conduct as creepy and ultimately as frightening. Rightly or wrongly she felt he was tracking her by her phone, the bombardier denied this and I find it unlikely."
The coroner added that it was 'difficult to believe that' Mason was not manipulating Gunner Beck, forcing her to help with his mental health issues as he suffered from suicidal thoughts.
Commenting on his actions, the Army stated that they brought on 'unwelcome sexual attention' and 'harassment'.
The inquest had also heard from Brigadier Melissa Emmett, head of the Army personnel services group, who openly accepted that the force let the British teen down.
“We let her down in so many ways for which we have already apologised, and if I can apologise again, for what it’s worth, I would do,” Brigadier Emmett stated on Monday (17 February).
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
Joshua Nair