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An ex- military sergeant has been ordered to serve six months in jail for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old soldier who subsequently ended her life.

Sergeant Major the former sergeant, 43, held down Royal Artillery Gunner the young woman and tried to force a kiss on her in July 2021. She was discovered deceased half a year following in her barracks at Larkhill, Wiltshire.

The defendant, who was given his punishment at the Court Martial Centre in Wiltshire recently, will be sent to a correctional facility and on the sex offenders register for multiple years.

The family matriarch Ms. Mcready remarked: "His actions, and how the Army did not safeguard our young woman following the incident, resulted in her suicide."

Official Reaction

The armed forces stated it did not listen to the soldier, who was originally from Oxen Park in Cumbria, when she filed the complaint and has expressed regret for its management of her complaint.

Subsequent to a formal inquiry regarding Gunner Beck's death, Webber confessed to one count of sexual assault in last fall.

The grieving parent commented her daughter could have been sitting with her relatives in the courtroom today, "to observe the person she reported facing consequences for what he did."

"Rather, we appear without her, enduring endless sorrow that no loved ones should ever have to face," she stated further.

"She complied with procedures, but the individuals in charge didn't follow theirs. Such negligence broke our young woman completely."

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Judicial Process

The judicial body was informed that the incident occurred during an adventure training exercise at the training location, near Hampshire's Emsworth, in July 2021.

The accused, a Sergeant Major at the moment, attempted physical intimacy towards the servicewoman following an alcohol consumption while on deployment for a training exercise.

The victim testified the accused remarked he had been "waiting for a moment for them to be by themselves" before taking hold of her, restraining her, and trying to kiss her.

She filed a complaint against Webber after the violation, notwithstanding efforts by military leadership to discourage her.

An official inquiry into her suicide found the military's management of the allegations played "a significant contributing factor in her demise."

Mother's Testimony

In a testimony shared to the court previously, Ms McCready, said: "The young woman had just turned nineteen and will eternally stay a youth full of energy and happiness."

"She believed people to safeguard her and after what he did, the confidence was gone. She was very upset and fearful of the sergeant."

"I witnessed the difference personally. She felt helpless and deceived. That incident broke her trust in the structure that was intended to protect her."

Judge's Statement

During sentencing, Judge Advocate General Alan Large stated: "We have to consider whether it can be handled in another way. We do not believe it can."

"We conclude the gravity of the offence means it can only be dealt with by incarceration."

He spoke to Webber: "The servicewoman had the bravery and wisdom to tell you to stop and directed you to go to bed, but you carried on to the degree she considered she wouldn't be safe from you even when she retreated to her personal quarters."

He added: "The subsequent morning, she reported the incident to her family, her companions and her chain of command."

"After the complaint, the military unit opted to handle the situation with minor administrative action."

"You were interviewed and you acknowledged your actions had been unacceptable. You wrote a written apology."

"Your career advanced completely unaffected and you were eventually elevated to Warrant Officer 1."

Further Details

At the investigation into the soldier's suicide, the investigating officer said a commanding officer influenced her to drop the allegations, and merely disclosed it to a military leadership "after information had leaked."

At the period, the accused was given a "minimal consequence discussion" with no additional penalties.

The inquest was also told that just weeks after the assault Gunner Beck had additionally been exposed to "continuous bullying" by another soldier.

Another soldier, her superior officer, directed toward her numerous SMS communications expressing emotions for her, in addition to a 15-page "romantic narrative" outlining his "personal thoughts."

Family handout

Institutional Response

The Army expressed it offered its "heartfelt apologies" to Gunner Beck and her relatives.

"We will always be deeply apologetic for the shortcomings that were discovered at Jaysley's inquest in February."

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