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Ex-Sergeant Major Admits Sexually Assaulting Soldier Who Took Her Own Life

Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber admitted to sexually assaulting 19-year-old Gunner Jaysley Beck at a 2021 work event; Army's failure to act contributed to her death, inquest finds.

  • On December 15, 2021, 19-year-old Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck was discovered deceased at the military barracks in Larkhill, Wiltshire, having taken her own life.
  • The death followed Jaysley's complaint of sexual assault by senior officer Warrant Officer Michael Webber during a July 2021 training exercise on Thorney Island.
  • Jaysley reported the assault twice to her chain of command, which failed to properly act or report it to police despite the incident being recorded as inappropriate behavior.
  • Michael Webber has admitted to committing a sexual assault during a hearing prior to his trial and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 31, while the Army has acknowledged its past shortcomings and now implements strict zero tolerance policies against such misconduct.
  • The inquest ruled the Army's mishandling contributed more than minimally to Jaysley's death, prompting family relief at Webber’s guilt admission but ongoing calls for accountability and cultural change.
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BBC News broke the news in United Kingdom on Monday, September 8, 2025.
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