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A former military sergeant has been sentenced to 180 days in prison for attacking a young gunner who afterwards ended her life.

Sergeant Major Michael Webber, 43, pinned down soldier the young woman and attempted to kiss her in July 2021. She was found dead several months after in her barracks at the Wiltshire base.

The defendant, who was sentenced at the military court in Wiltshire earlier, will be placed in a public jail and on the sex offenders register for multiple years.

Gunner Beck's mother Leighann Mcready commented: "What he [Webber] did, and how the Army neglected to defend our daughter afterwards, resulted in her suicide."

Military Response

The Army said it did not listen to Gunner Beck, who was hailing from Cumbria's Oxen Park, when she filed the complaint and has apologised for its response to her allegations.

After an inquest into the tragic death, the accused confessed to one count of unwanted sexual advance in the autumn.

Ms McCready stated her young woman could have been sitting with her relatives in the courtroom today, "to observe the individual she reported facing consequences for the assault."

"Rather, we appear in her absence, living a life sentence that no family should ever experience," she continued.

"She followed the rules, but the individuals in charge failed in their duties. These shortcomings broke our young woman completely."

Press Association

Court Proceedings

The judicial body was informed that the violation occurred during an adventure training exercise at Thorney Island, near Hampshire's Emsworth, in mid-2021.

Webber, a senior officer at the period, initiated inappropriate contact towards Gunner Beck following an alcohol consumption while on assignment for a training exercise.

The servicewoman testified the accused said he had been "waiting for a moment for them to be in private" before making physical contact, holding her against her will, and making unwanted advances.

She reported the incident against Webber following the violation, regardless of pressure by commanding officers to persuade her not to.

A formal investigation into her death found the Army's handling of the allegations played "more than a minimal role in her suicide."

Family Statement

In a account shared to the judicial body during proceedings, the mother, said: "The young woman had only become nineteen and will always be a young person full of vitality and joy."

"She had faith people to safeguard her and following the assault, the trust was lost. She was extremely troubled and fearful of Michael Webber."

"I witnessed the change personally. She felt helpless and deceived. That incident broke her trust in the system that was supposed to look after her."

Court Ruling

During sentencing, Judge Advocate General the magistrate said: "We must evaluate whether it can be dealt with in a different manner. We do not consider it can."

"We are satisfied the seriousness of the violation means it can only be resolved by prison time."

He told the convicted individual: "She had the courage and good sense to tell you to stop and instructed you to leave the area, but you continued to the extent she considered she would remain in danger from you even when she returned to her personal quarters."

He stated further: "The subsequent morning, she made the complaint to her family, her acquaintances and her military superiors."

"Subsequent to the allegations, the military unit decided to address your behavior with light disciplinary measures."

"You were interviewed and you acknowledged your behavior had been unacceptable. You wrote a apology note."

"Your military service continued completely unaffected and you were eventually advanced to Warrant Officer 1."

Further Details

At the formal inquiry into Gunner Beck's death, the investigating officer said Capt James Hook pressured her to cease proceedings, and merely disclosed it to a higher command "once details became known."

At the moment, the accused was given a "light disciplinary meeting" with no additional penalties.

The inquest was additionally informed that mere weeks after the incident Gunner Beck had additionally been subjected to "relentless harassment" by a different service member.

Bombardier Ryan Mason, her commanding individual, directed toward her more than 4,600 SMS communications confessing his feelings for her, in addition to a fifteen-page "personal account" describing his "imagined scenarios."

Family handout

Institutional Response

The armed forces stated it offered its "deepest sympathies" to Gunner Beck and her loved ones.

"We will always be sincerely regretful for the shortcomings that were noted at the official inquiry in February."

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