A teenage soldier who is thought to have killed herself feared a backlash after reporting a married sergeant for “pinning her down”, an inquest heard.
Royal Artillery gunner Jaysley Beck, 19, made the complaint after Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber allegedly “forced himself” on her “more than once” and “inappropriately touched” her while on a teambuilding camp, the inquest heard.
The following day, Beck reported that Webber had made “a pass at her” to James Hook, the army major running the camp on Thorney Island. However, Hook told her to “think very carefully” about making such a serious allegation “because of the impact it could have on Webber’s career”, Salisbury coroner’s court was told.
Webber apologised in a letter and Beck did not take the matter further because she “didn’t want anything to happen to him or his job because she didn’t want to suffer any backlash”, Lance Bombardier Kirsty Davis, Beck’s best friend, said.
The letter, shown to the inquest, said: “I hope you can accept this apology and if there is anything that I can do for you, my door will always be open.”
Beck is thought to have killed herself on the Larkhill Camp base in Wiltshire in December 2021 after being relentlessly pursued by her boss and other senior men for sexual relationships.
After her death a Ministry of Defence inquiry concluded that this “unwelcome” harassment was a “causal factor” in her death.
Davis agreed with a barrister representing the family that female soldiers could get a “bad reputation” for reporting harassment in the army.
Giving evidence, she said that other females she knew had had to leave the forces after reporting allegations of abuse.
In an earlier statement, Davis said: “Jaysley wasn’t happy but if you are a low rank, no one will believe you especially if you say something about a higher rank and she didn’t want to get into trouble and cause drama”.
She said that Webber “tried to kiss” Beck and persisted despite her telling him “no” during the camp in July 2021.
Beck was so “frightened” that she slept in her car and made sure Davis stayed on the phone all night, Davis added.
Leighann McCready, Beck’s mother, previously said that Webber tried to “put his hands between [Beck’s] legs” and she told the sergeant “get off me, sir”. McCready said that her daughter was “deeply upset” by the incident. She also said that Webber told her he had a wife and child.
Hook told the inquest that Beck reported that Webber had made “a pass” at her after a drinking event, telling her: “I’ve been waiting for this moment and I’ve seen the way you’ve been looking at me.”
Hook said that the allegation was “extremely serious” but when asked by Nicholas Rheinberg, the coroner, why he did not immediately launch an investigation, he responded that he was “trying to establish exactly what happened”.
He denied trying to protect Webber, instead admitting that he had “suspicions [Beck] was seeking a reason to get away” from the camp.
The inquest heard of an earlier interview when Hook had said that Beck had been “whingeing” about the team building day.
He recalled telling her that she should “think very carefully before making such a serious allegation” if it was “an opportunity to get away from the training package”.
The inquest previously heard how Beck’s “possessive and psychotic” boss, Bombardier Ryan Mason, sent her a “relentless” barrage of “I love you” messages.
The inquest continues.
For confidential support, the Samaritans can be contacted by calling 116 123 or going to samaritans.org
