Teenage soldier was tormented by male bosses, coroner rules | UK | News

The tearful mother of Jaysley Beck stressed “no apology will bring our daughter back” after a coroner ruled the 19 year-old had been failed by her Army superiors.

The Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck, 19, was found hanged in her room at Larkhill Camp near Salisbury in Wiltshire on 15th December 2021.

An inquest in Salisbury heard how before the tragedy, the teenager had broken down and confided to friends how some senior colleagues had tormented her.

A coroner heard of the “possessive and psychotic” behaviour of Bombardier Ryan Mason, sending her 4,600 WhatsApp messages – but also her claims Battery Sergeant Major (BSM) Michael Webber “pinned her down” trying to kiss her in July 2021 during a work social.

Assistant Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg on Thursday ruled she died by suicide and the Army’s handling of the BSM Webber sexual assault complaint played “more than a minimal contributory part in her death”.

Outside the court grieving mum Leighann McCready called for an independent investigation body to probe future “cases of sexual harassment, assault, bullying and abuse.”

She stressed: “This message is to Sir Keir Starmer and our Government – things need to change.

“Too often servicewomen and men don’t feel able to speak up out of fear of being victimised, and when they do, the Army is left to investigate itself.

“This cannot continue. There needs to be an independent body responsible for investigating those more serious cases, completely separate from the Army – only then can we ensure true accountability, real justice and genuine change.”

Paying tribute to her squaddie daughter, Ms McCready added: “Jaysley was so much more than a soldier – she was our daughter, a sister to Emily and a friend to so many.

“She was kind, caring and truly loved by everyone. She was full of life, bright and absolutely fantastic at her job. The army itself has said exactly the kind of person they wanted to join – she should still be here.

“Today, the coroner has made a number of extremely critical findings against the Army, that they have contributed to our daughter’s death.

“The Army admitted it let Jaysley down and apologised for failings – but no apology will ever bring our daughter back.”

Describing how she felt, she added: “Disgusted, absolutely disgusted, on how the Army have failed our daughter.”

When asked who she blamed for her daughter’s death, Ms McCready said: “The Army.”

Ms McCready added: “I believe it was a cover-up and it’s been made clear through the findings that the Army have failed our daughter Jaysley.”

Gnr Beck, originally from Oxen Park in Cumbria, joined up in March 2019, spent her first year at the Army Foundation College (AFC), Harrogate, North Yorks, graduating in February 2020 in to the Royal Artillery.

She was moved to 47 Regiment RA and volunteered to be part of the Corps Engagement Team (CET) from February 2021, promoting the Army at events, shows and in schools – but the inquest heard she was “taken advantage” of by older, senior male colleagues.

She filed a complaint against BSM Michael Webber after he “pinned her down” and tried to kiss her at a work social – but she had also been subjected to relentless harassment from her line manager, ex-Bombardier Ryan Mason.

Mr Mason, 40, sent Gunner Beck more than 4,600 messages confessing his feelings for her, and showed her a 15-page “love story” he had written, detailing his “fantasies about her”.

She tried to support him through his mental health issues, but he grew “possessive and jealous”, manipulating her into staying close with threats of suicide, the coroner heard.

Mr Mason sent 1,000 messages to Gunner Beck in October 2021 and 3,600 in November. In one pleading response she said: “I genuinely feel trapped in this whole situation.

“I’m trying to be there for you as a friend but it completely crossed the line of that a long time ago. I feel so uncomfortable. The truth is, I’m struggling to deal with all this.”

His behaviour reached a climax on a training exercise in Newbury on 7th December. Her ex-boyfriend George Higgins said she was initially told there would be no accommodation – but Mr Mason said they had hotel rooms.

Mr Higgins said: “She thought it was bizarre. He was being really weird about it. She decided to go down and question reception on the booking. It turned out he had booked the rooms and paid for them himself.”

Giving evidence, Mr Mason – who quit the Army the same month as Gnr Beck died and is now a driving instructor – broke down in tears as he explained how he had suffered from mental health issues since he was a child.

Gnr Beck’s restaurant owner father Anthony Beck reportedly warned her that: “Something is not right” with Mr Mason adding: “He comes across very controlling… you need to stay well away.”

While her mother told the inquest her daughter had been “upset and crying” on 7th December, days before her death, and that “Ryan was freaking her out”.

Coroner Mr Rheinberg said of that harassment: “It’s difficult to imagine the extent of the adverse effect this must have had on Jaysley, a very young woman with problems of her own.

“Jaysley described the bombardier’s conduct as creepy and ultimately as frightening.”

The alleged incident involving senior non-commissioned officer BSM Webber occurred at an adventure training exercise at Thorney Island, near Emsworth in Hampshire, in July 2021.

The work gathering extended into the early hours of the morning until she and BSM Webber were left drinking together alone.

She claimed the 39 year-old boasted he had been “waiting for a moment for them to be alone”, they had a drinking game called Last Man Standing before he grabbed her leg and tried to kiss her.

Shortly after, she called friend Lance Bombardier Kirsty Davis, “frightened and in tears” because “someone tried it on.”

She spent the remainder of the night in her car on the phone to Ms Davis out of fear he would find her.

The following morning she reported the incident to Captain James Hook, who believed she was “generating an excuse” to leave Thorney Island.

The coroner said Captain Hook only reported it to higher command “when the cat was already out of the bag”.

BSM Webber only had a ‘minor administrative action’ slap on the wrist after admitting attempting to kiss her, before being promoted to Warrant Officer 1 (WO1) – the highest non-commissioned rank in the Army.

It was ultimately recorded as ‘inappropriate behaviour unbecoming of a warrant officer’ and would have been wiped from his record when he was posted elsewhere.

At one stage the coroner asked him: “Sometime around 3am, on the 13th of July 2021, did you place your hand on Gnr Beck’s leg?” In response, BSM Webber said: “I decline to answer, sir.”

Mr Rheinberg then said: “Did you pin Gunner Beck down while attempting to kiss her?” BSM Webber again replied: “I decline to answer, sir.”

Summing up the inquest, Mr Rheinberg said “on the balance of probabilities” Gunner Beck was sexually assaulted by Mr Webber, and it “should have been reported to police and the failure to do so breached Army policy”.

Concluding death by suicide he added: “There was a failure on behalf of Army to take action over the harassment she was suffering from her line manager – and a failure to take action against the senior officer at whose hands she’d suffered a sexual assault.”

The coroner said tests showing she had been drinking, he believed she had intended to take her own life, adding: “My conclusion is she died by suicide. I am satisfied she intended to die.”

Mrs McCready said she is “disgusted” that neither BSM Michael Webber or ex-Bdr Ryan Mason have ever been prosecuted.

But she said she now has hope that criminal ‘action’ may finally be taken against BSM Webber after the coroner concluded he had sexually assaulted her daughter.

Brigadier Melissa Emmett, head of the Army personnel services group, accepted failures were made, agreeing: “We let her down in so many ways for which we have already apologised. We could have, and should have, done more.”

The tragedy of case led to a barrage of claims from more than 1,000 other female soldiers, who shared stories of rape, abuse and harassment in the military.

It prompted the head of the Army, General Sir Roly Walker, to write to senior officers condemning “shameful behaviour”, saying he was “disgusted” by new sex abuse allegations which does not match “our values and standards”.

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