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An ex- Army sergeant major has been ordered to serve half a year in custody for committing sexual assault against a teenage servicewoman who later took her own life.

Warrant Officer the former sergeant, forty-three, held down service member Jaysley Beck and attempted to kiss her in mid-2021. She was found dead half a year following in her military accommodation at the Wiltshire base.

The convicted individual, who was given his punishment at the Court Martial Centre in Wiltshire previously, will be sent to a correctional facility and listed on sexual offenders list for seven years.

The victim's mother the mother remarked: "His actions, and how the Army failed to protect our daughter subsequently, cost Jaysley her life."

Military Response

The Army stated it failed to hear the servicewoman, who was originally from Cumbria's Oxen Park, when she filed the complaint and has apologised for its response to her complaint.

Subsequent to a formal inquiry regarding the soldier's suicide, Webber pleaded guilty to a single charge of physical violation in last fall.

The mother commented her young woman ought to have been alongside her loved ones in legal proceedings this day, "to observe the individual she filed against held accountable for what he did."

"Rather, we stand here in her absence, living a life sentence that no family should be forced to endure," she continued.

"She complied with procedures, but those responsible failed in their duties. Those failures shattered our child utterly."

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Court Proceedings

The court was informed that the assault occurred during an adventure training exercise at Thorney Island, near the Hampshire area, in July 2021.

The accused, a ranking soldier at the period, made a sexual advance towards Gunner Beck after an social gathering while on assignment for a field training.

Gunner Beck stated the sergeant said he had been "anticipating an opportunity for them to be in private" before grabbing her leg, pinning her down, and trying to kiss her.

She reported the incident against the accused following the incident, regardless of pressure by commanding officers to discourage her.

A formal investigation into her death found the armed forces' response of the complaint played "a significant role in her suicide."

Parent's Account

In a statement presented to the court earlier, the parent, said: "She had only become nineteen and will eternally stay a young person full of vitality and joy."

"She trusted authorities to protect her and after what he did, the confidence was shattered. She was very upset and fearful of the sergeant."

"I observed the change firsthand. She felt powerless and betrayed. That violation destroyed her confidence in the set-up that was supposed to look after her."

Judge's Statement

When announcing the verdict, The judicial officer Alan Large said: "We have to consider whether it can be addressed in another way. We do not consider it can."

"We conclude the gravity of the crime means it can only be resolved by prison time."

He addressed the convicted individual: "The victim had the strength and intelligence to tell you to stop and instructed you to go to bed, but you continued to the extent she believed she could not feel secure from you even when she returned to her own accommodation."

He stated further: "The next morning, she disclosed the assault to her family, her companions and her chain of command."

"Following the report, the unit decided to address your behavior with light disciplinary measures."

"You underwent questioning and you acknowledged your actions had been improper. You wrote a written apology."

"Your professional path proceeded completely unaffected and you were subsequently advanced to senior position."

Background Information

At the formal inquiry into the soldier's suicide, the coroner said a commanding officer influenced her to drop the allegations, and merely disclosed it to a superior officers "after information had leaked."

At the time, Webber was given a "light disciplinary meeting" with no further consequences.

The inquest was further advised that only a short time after the incident the servicewoman had additionally been exposed to "continuous bullying" by a different service member.

Bombardier Ryan Mason, her line manager, sent her numerous text messages declaring attachments for her, accompanied by a 15-page "personal account" describing his "personal thoughts."

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Official Statement

The armed forces stated it provided its "sincerest condolences" to the servicewoman and her family.

"We remain profoundly sorry for the deficiencies that were identified at the official inquiry in winter."

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