Man admits sexually assaulting soldier, 19, who took her own life after boss sent her '3,600 texts in a month'

Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.

A former Army sergeant has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 19-year-old soldier who tragically took her own life.

Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck was found dead in her barracks at Larkhill in Wiltshire on 15 December 2021.

An inquest into her death found that the 19-year-old had suffered an 'intense period of unwelcome behaviour' from her boss, Bombardier Ryan Mason, after he'd allegedly sent her 3,600 texts, many of which saw him confess his love for her.

She'd also filed a complaint against Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber after he attempted to 'pin her down and kiss her' during a work event in July 2021.

At the inquest in Salisbury Coroner's Court in February, Webber refused to answer questions pertaining to the alleged assault; however, another colleague whom Beck had spoken to about it said she was 'in tears' and 'just frightened at what was going on'.

And now, Webber has pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault at his pre-trial hearing on Friday (5 September).

Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck was found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire on December 15, 2021 (PA)

Having already left the Army, he now awaits his sentencing.

In a statement, Gunner Beck's mother, Leighann McCready, said (via the BBC): "We are relieved that Michael Webber has admitted his guilt and not put us through the trauma of yet more legal proceedings, but nothing can undo the devastating loss of our beautiful daughter Jaysley. She reported the assault immediately, not once but twice."

McCready also suggested that things would have been very different had the Army reported her daughter's complaint to the police, adding: "If they had done that one simple thing, we believe with all our hearts she would still be with us today."

The incident was recorded as 'inappropriate behaviour unbecoming of a warrant officer', with the inquest also revealing that Captain James Cook put pressure on Beck to drop the allegations, with the coroner claiming that it was only reported to higher command 'when the cat was already out of the bag'.

It was also heard during the inquest that there had been a subsequent 'miscommunication' through the chain of command, which meant details of Webber attempting to 'put his hand between Beck's legs' were lost.

Jaysley's mother Leighann McCready said the Army should have reported the incident to police (PA)

At the time, Webber was only given a 'minor administrative action interview', and no further action was pursued. He was charged with sexual assault after the force passed a file to the Service Prosecuting Authority following a request from Beck's family to Wiltshire Police to consider criminal proceedings against Webber after the inquest in February.

Beck also faced 'psychotic and possessive' behaviour from Mason, who reportedly sent her several 'disturbing' text messages between October and December 2021.

Emma Norton, the solicitor acting on behalf of Gunner Beck's family, said: "What an enormous difference it would have made if the Army and its chain of command had just listened to Jaysley when she first told them about the assault and reported it to the police, instead of trying to persuade her it wasn't that serious."

The Army has since apologised to Beck's family for 'letting her down', saying: "We could have, and should have done more."

They also added that they had now introduced clear policies stating there would be 'zero tolerance to unacceptable sexual behaviours'.

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.