Soldier found dead 'feared backlash for calling out sexual harassment from sergeant'

Soldier Jaysley Beck, 19, who joined the Army astatine 16, was recovered dormant successful azygous surviving accommodation successful Larkhill Camp successful Wiltshire connected December 15, 2021

Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck, 19, who was recovered dormant astatine Larkhill Camp successful Wiltshire successful December 2021. (Image: PA)

A 'beautiful' teenage worker who died successful a suspected termination implicit Army intersexual harassment feared 'backlash' aft she reported a joined sergeant for 'pinning her down' and trying to buss her, an inquest heard today. Gunner Jaysley Beck, 19, was near 'in tears' aft Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber allegedly 'forced himself' connected her and 'inappropriately touched' her portion connected a squad gathering camp. 'Bubbly' Gnr Beck, of the Royal Artillery, accused BSM Webber of trying to 'put his hands betwixt her legs' and was truthful 'frightened' by the ordeal that she slept successful her car, her inquest heard. Lance Bombardier Kirsty Davies, who was champion friends with Gnr Beck, contiguous told the proceeding that the teen accepted an apology missive from BSM Webber due to the fact that she 'didn't privation to instrumentality matters immoderate further.

Soldier Jaysley Beck, 19, who joined the Army astatine 16, was recovered dormant successful azygous surviving accommodation successful Larkhill Camp successful Wiltshire connected December 15, 2021.(Image: PA)

Salisbury Coroners Court, Wiltshire, heard Gnr Beck 'didn't privation to marque a fuss' and portion she wasn't 'happy' with what happened, she didn't privation to 'get into occupation and origin drama'. Gnr Beck, who joined the Army astatine 16, was recovered dormant successful azygous surviving accommodation successful Larkhill Camp successful Wiltshire connected December 15 2021. She was posted to the 14th Regiment Royal Artillery. In July 2021, she attended a team-building campy astatine Thorney Island, Hants, which progressive watersports specified arsenic kite surfing and paddle boarding. It was heard that incidental took spot with Gnr Beck and BSM Webber successful which helium 'inappropriately touched her'. The soldier's parent Leighann McCready said she was nether the content the sergeant large was 'much older than her'.

Gunner Jaysley Beck astatine her passing retired parade.(Image: PA)

Today, LBdr Davies told the inquest that connected the evening of the squad building, she woke up to 20 missed calls from Gnr Beck. Giving evidence, LBdr Davies said: "I cognize thing happened that night.

"They were each having a fewer drinks and idiosyncratic tried it connected and evidently she was acrophobic to spell backmost to her country truthful she conscionable spent the nighttime successful her car. I cognize [BSM Webber] tried to buss her, I can't retrieve thing else. She slept successful her car that night, she wouldn't fto maine bent up the telephone truthful she made definite I was connected the telephone each night. I deliberation she was possibly acrophobic that helium was going to travel to the car." Recalling the incidental successful an earlier statement, LBdr Davies said: "I retrieve her saying that helium had been telling her she was astonishing and beautiful. I cognize this due to the fact that I cognize Jaysley hated compliments and this made her consciousness awkward." LBdr Davies stated that BSM Webber had allegedly 'forced himself' onto Gnr Beck and it had happened 'more than once', the inquest heard. She said: "Jaysley said she had told him no, tried to get distant from him but helium persisted truthful she had left. I don't cognize if helium had really kissed her oregon conscionable kept trying to." The inquest heard that helium was allegedly 'trying to buss her' and was 'pinning her down'. It was alleged that BSM Webber tried to 'put his hands betwixt her legs'. LBdr Davies said her person was 'in tears' connected the telephone and was some 'upset' and 'frightened'. In a substance connection sent to LBdr Davies, Gnr Beck said the sergeant was 'grabbing the backmost of my cervix for a kiss'. LBdr Davies said she was alert that Gnr Davies reported BSM Webber and received an apology missive from him. The letter, shown to the inquest, said: "My behaviour was unacceptable and I americium genuinely atrocious that I enactment you successful the presumption I did. There is nary excuse for behaving the mode I did. I anticipation you tin judge this apology and if determination is thing that I tin bash for you my doorway volition ever beryllium open." LBdr Davies said her person accepted the apology missive arsenic she 'just wanted to get it retired the mode with'. She claimed she knew different pistillate soldiers who near the Army aft they were harassed by antheral soldiers of a higher rank. LBdr Davies said: "Jaysley didn't privation to instrumentality matters immoderate further due to the fact that she wanted to marque definite thing happened to Webber. She didn't privation thing to hap to him oregon his occupation due to the fact that she didn't privation to endure immoderate backlash."

Jaysley with her parent Leighann McCready(Image: PA)

LBdr Davies agreed with a barrister representing the household that pistillate soldiers tin get a 'bad reputation' for reporting harassment successful the Army. She said that different females she knows person had to permission the forces aft reporting allegations of abuse.

"[Gnr Beck] didn't privation to beryllium seen arsenic the wrongdoer," LBdr Davies said successful an earlier statement. "Jaysley wasn't blessed but if you are a debased fertile nary 1 volition judge you particularly if you accidental thing astir a higher fertile and she didn't privation to get into occupation and origin drama."

Mrs McCready antecedently said that her girl was 'deeply upset' by the lawsuit and told the sergeant 'get disconnected maine sir' during the ordeal. She said her girl told her helium had a woman and child. The inquest besides heard contiguous that erstwhile Gnr Beck was grooming successful the army, determination were 'rumours' that she was dating her trainer, who was 8 to 9 years her senior. After Gnr Beck near Army Foundation College Harrogate, the brace got into a relationship. The inquest heard connected Monday that Gnr Beck had besides been subjected to alleged harassment from her enactment manager, Bombardier Ryan Mason. The brace archetypal met erstwhile she joined the Corps Engagement Team successful February 2021.

Jaysley Beck's mum, Leighann McCready, extracurricular Salisbury and Swindon Coroners Court.(Image: Solent News)

Mrs McCready said her daughter's moving narration with Bdr Mason started usually but helium began 'overstepping the mark' and she became 'scared' of him. It was heard successful November 2021 the Bombardier sent her 3,600 messages and Gnr Beck told her parent it was 'becoming creepy'. In 1 message, helium said: "You're astonishing Jaysley, I admit you truthful much, I emotion everything astir you, adjacent your flaws and I'm truthful grateful to telephone you my friend... You are stuck with maine everlastingly now. It's signed and sealed, I emotion you x."

At 1 point, the young worker adjacent feared Bdr Mason had 'hacked' her mobile telephone arsenic helium erstwhile messaged her saying 'Jaysley Beck I cognize you're lasting astatine the bottommost of the gathering connected your telephone'. Mrs McCready said her daughter, from Oxen Park successful Cumbria, told her 'he's really scaring maine present mum'. And, it was heard that Bdr Mason had written 'a emotion story' astir him and Gnr Beck which 'bordered connected intersexual harassment'. Bombardier John Wheeler, a friend, said that Gnr Beck had showed him photographs of the publication which progressive characters 'personified' by the 2 of them. Her decease prompted an Army work inquiry, which recovered successful October 2023 that 'unwelcome' harassment was a 'causal factor' successful her death. An Army Major who spoke with Gnr Beck the time aft she was allegedly assaulted by BSM Webber told her to 'think precise carefully' earlier making 'such a superior allegation', an inquest heard today. Major James Hook said helium had 'suspicions' that the young worker whitethorn person made up the battle arsenic an 'excuse' to get distant from the squad gathering exercise.

Speaking astatine today's inquest, Maj Hook said that Gnr Beck told him that BSM Webber had made 'a pass' astatine her and had told her 'I've been waiting for this infinitesimal and I've seen the mode you've been looking astatine me'. He defended his determination not to commencement a disciplinary probe consecutive distant and denied that helium was trying to 'protect' BSM Webber.Maj Hook told today's proceeding that helium was moving the campy successful Thorney Island and became alert that an contented had occurred aft a drinking event. Maj Hook, who was a Captain astatine the time, said: "[Gnr Beck] said the BSM had made a walk astatine her. I suggested to Gunner Beck that we should spell connected a locomotion truthful I tin clarify precisely what she meant."She said that helium said thing on the lines of 'I person been waiting for this infinitesimal for it to beryllium conscionable the 2 of america - I tin archer that you person been feeling the aforesaid way'. The quality of the allegation was highly superior - adjacent connected the little extremity of the spectrum."Maj Hook said this allegation was 'clearly hugely inappropriate' and said helium asked the worker whether she would consciousness 'uncomfortable' being astir BSM Webber.Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg asked the service Major wherefore helium didn't 'put successful spot an probe immediately'. In response, Maj Hook said that helium was 'trying to found precisely what happened' and said that what helium had heard truthful acold was 'ambiguous'. Mr Rheinberg went connected to inquire him: "Have you heard of the look 'zero tolerance'? Does that use successful scenarios wherever determination has been intersexual misconduct betwixt a elder non-commissioned serviceman and the lowest inferior rank?"In response, Maj Hook said 'yes it does' and helium was past asked whether helium had not reported the substance successful an effort to expanse it 'under the carpet'. Maj Hook said: "There was perfectly nary motive to support who was being accused." He said that alternatively helium wanted to 'protect Gnr Beck by giving her the accidental to determine if she wanted to instrumentality the substance immoderate further'.The coroner remarked that it would person been a 'huge scandal' for the allegation to person been made nationalist and said it would person 'affected the estimation of the regiment'.The inquest heard of an earlier interrogation successful which Maj Hook was asked astir the event. He said that Gnr Beck had been 'whinging' astir the squad gathering day. Today helium admitted that 'I had my suspicions that she was seeking a crushed to get distant from Thorney Island'.The inquest was shown a transcript of this interrogation successful which Maj Hook described what Gnr Beck had told him took spot betwixt her and BSM Webber. Maj Hook said: "She said that erstwhile it was conscionable the 2 of them, he'd said thing on the lines of, you cognize 'I've been waiting for this infinitesimal and I've seen the mode you've been looking astatine me' and I deliberation she alleged that helium made a walk astatine her, arsenic successful physically made a walk astatine her."Later connected successful the interview, Maj Hook said: "So erstwhile she approached maine with this allegation and connected the Tuesday morning, I indispensable admit I was conscious of the information initially that was this thing that she was generating for an excuse to get distant from Thorney Island and distant from the grooming which she'd already made perfectly wide to maine that she wasn't enjoying."He said: "I conscionable explained to her that to her the seriousness of the benignant of allegation was making and if this was a genuine lawsuit past of people it was close and due that we should analyse the substance and instrumentality it further but if it was an accidental to get distant from the grooming bundle past she would deliberation precise cautiously earlier making specified a superior allegation due to the fact that of the interaction it could person connected Mr Webber's career." Maj Hook admitted his 'flaw' was not starting disciplinary enactment immediately.

The inquest, expected to past 2 weeks, continues.