A shocking incident has led to a six-month prison sentence for a former Army Warrant Officer. Michael Webber, 43, admitted to sexually assaulting 19-year-old Gunner Jaysley Beck in July 2021, leading to a devastating series of events that ended with her taking her own life that December.
The incident occurred during a training stay at Thorney Island, Hampshire. Webber, then 39, engaged Beck in a late-night drinking game and attempted unwanted advances towards her. Despite her clear refusal and spending the night locked in her car to avoid him, the matter was initially brushed off with just an apology letter to Beck.
Tragically, on December 15, 2021, Beck was found dead in her room at Larkhill Camp, Wiltshire. Earlier this year, an inquest revealed the Army’s shortcomings and how they potentially contributed to her decision. Her family expressed how the indecent assault shattered her trust in a system designed to protect her.
Assistant Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg highlighted the lack of action on part of the Army as a factor in her death, leading to a later prosecution by the Defence Serious Crime Unit. Webber, who pleaded guilty in September, has since retired from his 22-year military career, now working as a lorry driver.
Gunner Beck’s family shared their heartbreak, describing her as once bright and confident, a stark contrast to her last months. Her sister recounted Jaysley’s fear and upset post-incident, deeply affected by the lack of proper disciplinary action against Webber—a superior meant to protect her.
Michael Webber, now ordered to serve his sentence, accepts his responsibility in the tragic outcome. Meanwhile, her family hopes justice brings some peace, remembering Jaysley for the vibrant person she was before it all went wrong.