Ex-sergeant’s sentence condemned by charities

The sentence given to an ex-Army sergeant who sexually assaulted a teenage soldier who later took her own life has been condemned by two charities.

Gunner Jaysley Beck, from Cumbria, was found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire in 2021 after Warrant Officer Michael Webber pinned her down and tried to kiss her. He pleaded guilty to sexual assault in September.

Webber, 43, was jailed for six months and added to the sex offenders register for seven years on 31 October. The Attorney General’s office said it had received “several” complaints from people who believed the sentence was too short.

Fay Maxted, chief executive of The Survivors Trust charity, said the sentence was “derisory”.

“There is a widespread lack of awareness of the seriousness of the ongoing trauma that victims experience after sexual assault,” she added.

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The starting point for Webber’s sentence would have been one year of imprisonment, but this was reduced due to his guilty plea and mitigating factors including his exemplary record and his remorse afterwards, Judge Advocate General Alan Large said at Webber’s sentencing.

For the offence to be sentenced at a higher harm level, the harm sustained by Gunner Beck would have had to be “at least as serious as severe psychological harm” – something Judge Large said it did not result in.

The inquest held into Gunner Beck’s death heard the 19-year-old had slept in her locked car after the incident at a work social event.

She raised a complaint to her superiors the next morning, but the offence was not reported to police and Webber was later promoted.

The coroner ruled the sexual assault and the Army’s failure to take appropriate action had “more than minimally” contributed to Gunner Beck’s death.

Ms Maxted said the dismissal of Gunner Beck’s complaint would have been “extremely distressing and isolating” for her.

The charity called for coroners to hold a central record for registering suicides which could be linked to sexual violence or assault to raise awareness of its impact.

Rape Crisis England and Wales also criticised the sentence.

Maxime Rowson, from the charity, said: “Jaysley Beck’s death is the devastating consequence of a culture which tolerates misogyny, silences victims and survivors, and fails to hold perpetrators accountable.

“This is not just about one sentence – it’s about a system that enabled the sexual assault perpetrated by Webber, and failed to protect Jaysley.”

She added institutions like the Army would continue to “betray” people unless rape culture was “confronted at every level”.

Following Webber’s sentencing, the Army said it had not listened to Gunner Beck when she reported the sexual assault and apologised for its handling of her complaint.

Maj Gen Jon Swift, assistant chief of the General Staff, said the Army was “profoundly sorry” for failings identified at the inquest.

“We are determined to make sure the same mistakes don’t happen again,” he added.

The Law Officers have 28 days from sentencing to consider cases and make a decision on whether any should be reviewed.