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An ex- service sergeant has been given 180 days in prison for sexually assaulting a teenage servicewoman who afterwards ended her life.

Sergeant Major Michael Webber, forty-three, pinned down soldier the victim and sought to make physical contact in mid-2021. She was found dead several months after in her barracks at Larkhill, Wiltshire.

The convicted individual, who was sentenced at the legal proceedings in the Wiltshire region recently, will be transferred to a civilian prison and listed on offender database for multiple years.

Gunner Beck's mother Leighann Mcready commented: "What he [Webber] did, and how the Army neglected to defend our child following the incident, led to her death."

Military Response

The armed forces said it ignored Gunner Beck, who was originally from Cumbria's Oxen Park, when she disclosed the incident and has said sorry for its management of her allegations.

Subsequent to an investigation of the tragic death, Webber pleaded guilty to one count of unwanted sexual advance in September.

Ms McCready stated her child ought to have been alongside her loved ones in court today, "to observe the person she reported facing consequences for what he did."

"Rather, we appear in her absence, living a life sentence that no family should ever have to face," she stated further.

"She adhered to protocols, but those responsible didn't follow theirs. Those failures destroyed our daughter completely."

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Judicial Process

The judicial body was advised that the assault occurred during an adventure training exercise at Thorney Island, near the Hampshire area, in July 2021.

The sergeant, a ranking soldier at the period, made a sexual advance towards Gunner Beck subsequent to an evening of drinking while on duty for a training exercise.

The servicewoman claimed the accused remarked he had been "anticipating an opportunity for them to be alone" before grabbing her leg, restraining her, and making unwanted advances.

She filed a complaint against the sergeant after the assault, notwithstanding efforts by superiors to convince her against reporting.

An inquest into her death found the Army's handling of the complaint played "a significant contributory part in her suicide."

Family Statement

In a testimony presented to the court previously, Ms McCready, stated: "She had just turned 19 and will forever remain a youth full of life and laughter."

"She had faith people to protect her and post-incident, the faith was lost. She was very upset and terrified of the accused."

"I witnessed the transformation firsthand. She felt vulnerable and abandoned. That incident broke her confidence in the set-up that was meant to safeguard her."

Sentencing Remarks

When announcing the verdict, Judge Advocate General the judge said: "We have to consider whether it can be dealt with in a different manner. We do not believe it can."

"We have determined the gravity of the crime means it can only be addressed by prison time."

He addressed the convicted individual: "She had the strength and intelligence to tell you to stop and directed you to retire for the night, but you persisted to the extent she felt she would remain in danger from you despite the fact she retreated to her assigned barracks."

He continued: "The next morning, she made the complaint to her family, her friends and her chain of command."

"Subsequent to the allegations, the command opted to address your behavior with minimal consequences."

"You underwent questioning and you acknowledged your actions had been unacceptable. You wrote a letter of apology."

"Your military service advanced unimpeded and you were subsequently promoted to Warrant Officer 1."

Additional Context

At the formal inquiry into the soldier's suicide, the coroner said military leadership influenced her to drop the allegations, and only reported it to a superior officers "once details became known."

At the time, the sergeant was given a "minor administrative action interview" with no serious repercussions.

The inquiry was also told that mere weeks after the violation the soldier had also been exposed to "relentless harassment" by a separate individual.

A separate service member, her commanding individual, transmitted to her more than 4,600 digital communications expressing emotions for her, along with a fifteen-page "love story" detailing his "fantasies about her."

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Institutional Response

The armed forces 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 the formal investigation in early this year."

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