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An ex- military sergeant has been sentenced to six months in prison for sexually assaulting a teenage servicewoman who later ended her life.

Sergeant Major the former sergeant, 43, pinned down Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck and attempted to kiss her in July 2021. She was found dead five months later in her quarters at Larkhill military installation.

The defendant, who was judged at the Court Martial Centre in the Wiltshire region previously, will be placed in a civilian prison and registered as sexual offenders list for a seven-year period.

The victim's mother the mother commented: "His actions, and how the Army neglected to defend our daughter afterwards, resulted in her suicide."

Official Reaction

The Army acknowledged it failed to hear the soldier, who was originally from Oxen Park in Cumbria, when she filed the complaint and has expressed regret for its handling of her allegations.

After a formal inquiry regarding the tragic death, the defendant admitted to a single charge of physical violation in last fall.

The grieving parent stated her child could have been present with her family in legal proceedings now, "to observe the individual she accused brought to justice for the assault."

"Conversely, we appear in her absence, living a life sentence that no relatives should ever experience," she stated further.

"She complied with procedures, but those responsible neglected their responsibilities. Those failures broke our young woman totally."

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Legal Hearing

The legal tribunal was informed that the assault happened during an adventure training exercise at the exercise site, near the Hampshire area, in mid-2021.

The accused, a ranking soldier at the time, attempted physical intimacy towards the servicewoman following an evening of drinking while on duty for a field training.

The servicewoman stated the sergeant said he had been "anticipating an opportunity for them to be in private" before making physical contact, holding her against her will, and trying to kiss her.

She filed a complaint against the accused following the incident, notwithstanding efforts by military leadership to convince her against reporting.

An official inquiry into her death found the military's management of the report played "more than a minimal contributory part in her suicide."

Parent's Account

In a account presented to the court earlier, the mother, said: "She had recently celebrated a teenager and will always be a young person full of energy and happiness."

"She believed people to safeguard her and following the assault, the confidence was shattered. She was extremely troubled and terrified of the sergeant."

"I saw the difference firsthand. She felt powerless and betrayed. That incident broke her faith in the set-up that was meant to safeguard her."

Sentencing Remarks

While delivering judgment, The judicial officer the judge remarked: "We have to consider whether it can be addressed in a different manner. We do not consider it can."

"We are satisfied the severity of the offence means it can only be dealt with by prison time."

He told the convicted individual: "The servicewoman had the strength and intelligence to instruct you to cease and directed you to go to bed, but you persisted to the point she believed she could not feel secure from you even when she went back to her assigned barracks."

He stated further: "The subsequent morning, she disclosed the assault to her relatives, her friends and her commanding officers."

"Following the report, the command opted to deal with you with minimal consequences."

"You were interviewed and you acknowledged your conduct had been improper. You prepared a apology note."

"Your career proceeded completely unaffected and you were in due course advanced to higher rank."

Background Information

At the inquest into the tragic passing, the official examiner said military leadership influenced her to withdraw the complaint, and just informed it to a military leadership "when the cat was already out of the bag."

At the period, the accused was given a "minimal consequence discussion" with no additional penalties.

The inquiry was also told that mere weeks after the assault the servicewoman had also been exposed to "continuous bullying" by a separate individual.

Another soldier, her line manager, directed toward her numerous digital communications declaring attachments for her, accompanied by a 15-page "love story" describing his "personal thoughts."

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Official Statement

The military leadership expressed it offered its "sincerest condolences" to the soldier and her relatives.

"We will always be deeply apologetic for the shortcomings that were discovered at the formal investigation in February."

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