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An ex- Army sergeant major has been sentenced to six months in jail for committing sexual assault against a 19-year-old soldier who subsequently died by suicide.

Sergeant Major the former sergeant, forty-three, held down Royal Artillery Gunner the victim and attempted to kiss her in July 2021. She was located without signs of life five months later in her quarters at the Wiltshire base.

The defendant, who was judged at the Court Martial Centre in the Wiltshire region earlier, will be transferred to a public jail and on the offender database for seven years.

The victim's mother Ms. Mcready commented: "His actions, and how the military failed to protect our daughter afterwards, resulted in her suicide."

Army Statement

The Army said it failed to hear the servicewoman, who was hailing from Oxen Park in Cumbria, when she reported the assault and has apologised for its response to her report.

Subsequent to an inquest into the tragic death, the accused pleaded guilty to a single charge of physical violation in September.

The mother stated her child could have been sitting with her loved ones in court today, "to witness the man she accused brought to justice for the assault."

"Conversely, we appear missing her, living a life sentence that no relatives should ever experience," she stated further.

"She adhered to protocols, but the individuals in charge didn't follow theirs. Those failures shattered our child utterly."

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Court Proceedings

The judicial body was advised that the incident happened during an adventure training exercise at the exercise site, near Hampshire's Emsworth, in July 2021.

Webber, a Sergeant Major at the period, initiated inappropriate contact towards Gunner Beck after an alcohol consumption while on assignment for a field training.

Gunner Beck claimed Webber stated he had been "seeking a chance for them to be in private" before grabbing her leg, holding her against her will, and making unwanted advances.

She made official allegations against the sergeant subsequent to the incident, despite attempts by military leadership to persuade her not to.

An official inquiry into her suicide found the armed forces' response of the allegations played "more than a minimal role in her death."

Family Statement

In a account shared to the judicial body during proceedings, the mother, said: "Our daughter had only become nineteen and will eternally stay a young person full of energy and happiness."

"She had faith authorities to safeguard her and after what he did, the trust was shattered. She was deeply distressed and terrified of Michael Webber."

"I witnessed the difference before my own eyes. She felt vulnerable and abandoned. That incident shattered her confidence in the system that was meant to safeguard her."

Court Ruling

While delivering judgment, Judge Advocate General Alan Large said: "We must evaluate whether it can be addressed in a different manner. We are not convinced it can."

"We are satisfied the gravity of the violation means it can only be resolved by immediate custody."

He told the defendant: "The servicewoman had the strength and intelligence to tell you to stop and instructed you to go to bed, but you persisted to the extent she felt she would remain in danger from you despite the fact she returned to her assigned barracks."

He added: "The next morning, she reported the incident to her loved ones, her friends and her military superiors."

"After the complaint, the command opted to deal with you with light disciplinary measures."

"You were subject to inquiry and you acknowledged your behavior had been improper. You prepared a apology note."

"Your military service continued completely unaffected and you were in due course promoted to senior position."

Background Information

At the investigation into Gunner Beck's death, the official examiner said a commanding officer influenced her to cease proceedings, and just informed it to a military leadership "after information had leaked."

At the time, the accused was given a "minor administrative action interview" with no additional penalties.

The inquiry was also told that mere weeks after the assault the servicewoman had further been subjected to "persistent mistreatment" by a different service member.

A separate service member, her superior officer, transmitted to her more than 4,600 text messages declaring attachments for her, along with a multi-page "personal account" outlining his "imagined scenarios."

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Institutional Response

The military leadership said it provided its "heartfelt apologies" to Gunner Beck and her relatives.

"We will always be deeply apologetic for the deficiencies that were noted at Jaysley's inquest in winter."

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