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An ex- service sergeant has been sentenced to 180 days in prison for sexually assaulting a young gunner who later ended her life.

Warrant Officer Michael Webber, 43, restrained service member the victim and tried to make physical contact in mid-2021. She was discovered deceased half a year following in her quarters at Larkhill, Wiltshire.

The convicted individual, who was sentenced at the military court in Wiltshire earlier, will be placed in a correctional facility and on the offender database for a seven-year period.

The victim's mother Ms. Mcready commented: "The assault, and how the Army neglected to defend our child afterwards, led to her death."

Military Response

The military leadership stated it ignored Gunner Beck, who was hailing from the Cumbrian village, when she filed the complaint and has said sorry for its management of her complaint.

Following an investigation of the tragic death, Webber pleaded guilty to one count of physical violation in September.

The mother stated her daughter could have been alongside her family in legal proceedings now, "to see the individual she reported held accountable for the assault."

"Rather, we stand here without her, living a life sentence that no family should ever experience," she stated further.

"She complied with procedures, but the accountable parties failed in their duties. These shortcomings destroyed our daughter totally."

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Legal Hearing

The judicial body was advised that the assault happened during an adventure training exercise at Thorney Island, near Emsworth in Hampshire, in mid-2021.

The sergeant, a ranking soldier at the moment, initiated inappropriate contact towards Gunner Beck after an alcohol consumption while on duty for a training exercise.

Gunner Beck testified the accused remarked he had been "waiting for a moment for them to be alone" before taking hold of her, pinning her down, and attempting to force intimacy.

She filed a complaint against the accused subsequent to the incident, regardless of pressure by military leadership to convince her against reporting.

An official inquiry into her death found the Army's handling of the report played "an important contributory part in her suicide."

Parent's Account

In a account shared to the tribunal during proceedings, the parent, stated: "The young woman had recently celebrated a teenager and will always be a teenager full of life and laughter."

"She trusted individuals to protect her and following the assault, the faith was lost. She was very upset and scared of the sergeant."

"I saw the change personally. She felt powerless and betrayed. That violation destroyed her confidence in the set-up that was intended to protect her."

Sentencing Remarks

During sentencing, The judicial officer the magistrate stated: "We need to assess whether it can be addressed in an alternative approach. We are not convinced it can."

"We have determined the severity of the violation means it can only be resolved by incarceration."

He addressed Webber: "The victim had the courage and good sense to instruct you to cease and told you to go to bed, but you carried on to the point she believed she would remain in danger from you even when she returned to her own accommodation."

He continued: "The subsequent morning, she disclosed the assault to her loved ones, her acquaintances and her commanding officers."

"Subsequent to the allegations, the unit chose to handle the situation with minimal consequences."

"You underwent questioning and you accepted your actions had been inappropriate. You composed a apology note."

"Your career advanced unimpeded and you were subsequently advanced to higher rank."

Background Information

At the formal inquiry into the soldier's suicide, the investigating officer said a commanding officer put pressure on her to withdraw the complaint, and just informed it to a higher command "after information had leaked."

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

The inquiry was additionally informed that only a short time after the violation Gunner Beck had further been exposed to "relentless harassment" by a separate individual.

Bombardier Ryan Mason, her line manager, sent her numerous text messages expressing emotions for her, in addition to a fifteen-page "personal account" outlining his "fantasies about her."

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Organizational Reaction

The military leadership expressed it provided its "heartfelt apologies" to the servicewoman and her relatives.

"We continue to be deeply apologetic for the failings that were discovered at Jaysley's inquest in February."

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