Soldier, 19, found dead in her room alleged senior officer 'pinned her down and tried to kiss' her months before her death
12 February 2025, 09:43
A 19-year-old soldier found dead in her room alleged a senior officer had pinned her down and tried to kiss her, an inquest has heard.
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Jaysley Beck called a colleague "frightened and in tears", in the middle of the night after she claimed a senior officer had "pinned" her down and tried to kiss her.
Gunner Beck was found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire on December 15 2021, aged just 19.
The teenage soldier had made a complaint against Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber in July 2021 while staying at Thorney Island, near Emsworth in Hampshire, for training, the inquest heard.
Lance Bombardier Kirsty Davis, who trained alongside Back as a gunner, told her the inquest her friend had called her in the early hours of the morning to tell her something had happened.
She said Gunner Beck told her that "something happened that night, they were all having a few drinks, someone tried it on with her".
Davis explained: "He was trying to kiss her and she was trying to push him away, he was pinning her down".
The hearing was also told of a message sent by Gunner Beck which stated that he was "grabbing the back of my neck for a kiss".
Davis had been asleep at the time but woke up to 20 missed calls from Gunner Beck.
When she finally got hold of her friend, Gunner Beck did not want her to end the phone call and it lasted "all night".
Davis added: "I think she was afraid he was going to come to the car."
She said in her statement: "I remember him saying she was amazing and beautiful. I know this because Jaysley hated compliments and it made her feel awkward."
She added that Gunner Beck told her he "tried to force himself on her more than once, a few times. Jaysley had told him no, tried to get away from him but he had persisted so she left.
"I do not know if he actually kissed her or tried to, I do not remember if Jaysley said he had touched her or not.
"Jaysley was in tears, she was upset. I think she was just frightened at what was going on and she was crying, just a little bit."
Following her complaint, Mr Webber received a “minor sanction” and wrote a letter of apology to her.
Lance Bombardier Davis said in her statement: "Jaysley wasn't happy with what had happened but if you are in the Army and a lower rank, no-one will believe you, especially against a higher rank.
"She didn't want to get into trouble or cause a drama."
Gunner Beck didn’t carry the complaint further because she didn’t want his career to be impacted and feared she may face backlash.
The inquest was also told that Gunner Beck received thousands of messages from a different senior colleague Bombardier Ryan Mason, whom she described as being "psychotic and possessive".
This, which was described in a 2023 service inquiry report as “an intense period of unwelcome behaviour", was found to be a causal factor" in her death.
The report also said the Thorney Island incident was "possibly a factor that may have influenced her failure to report other events that happened subsequently".
Family issues, including bereavement, were also responsible for Gunner Beck's death, the inquiry found.
Her family rejects this.
It detailed three "contributory factors" to Gunner Beck's death - the "significant strain" of a sexual relationship with a married colleague in the last few weeks of her life; a relationship that ended in November 2021 which involved "repeated allegations of unfaithfulness on the part of the boyfriend"; and an "unhealthy approach to alcohol, with episodes of binge-drinking".
It added that Gunner Beck had no diagnosed mental health conditions and had not sought welfare support from anyone in the Army.
The hearing continues.
