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An ex- service sergeant has been given half a year in prison for attacking a 19-year-old soldier who subsequently took her own life.

Warrant Officer the former sergeant, 43, restrained Royal Artillery Gunner the victim and sought to kiss her in July 2021. She was located without signs of life half a year following in her barracks at Larkhill, Wiltshire.

The defendant, who was given his punishment at the military court in the Wiltshire region earlier, will be sent to a public jail and listed on sex offenders register for multiple years.

The victim's mother the mother stated: "His actions, and how the Army did not safeguard our child subsequently, led to her death."

Army Statement

The military leadership stated it failed to hear the soldier, who was a native of Cumbria's Oxen Park, when she reported the assault and has said sorry for its handling of her report.

Following a formal inquiry regarding Gunner Beck's death, the accused admitted to the offense of unwanted sexual advance in the autumn.

The grieving parent said her child ought to have been alongside her relatives in the courtroom now, "to see the man she reported held accountable for what he did."

"Rather, we appear without her, enduring endless sorrow that no family should ever experience," she stated further.

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

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Judicial Process

The court was advised that the incident took place during an adventure training exercise at the training location, near the Hampshire area, in mid-2021.

The sergeant, a senior officer at the period, made a sexual advance towards the servicewoman subsequent to an alcohol consumption while on deployment for a military exercise.

Gunner Beck claimed Webber stated he had been "anticipating an opportunity for them to be alone" before making physical contact, holding her against her will, and trying to kiss her.

She made official allegations against the accused after the violation, despite attempts by military leadership to discourage her.

A formal investigation into her death found the military's management of the report played "a significant contributing factor in her suicide."

Mother's Testimony

In a testimony presented to the judicial body previously, Ms McCready, expressed: "Our daughter had only become a teenager and will forever remain a teenager full of life and laughter."

"She had faith authorities to safeguard her and following the assault, the trust was lost. She was deeply distressed and fearful of Michael Webber."

"I witnessed the difference personally. She felt helpless and deceived. That incident shattered her confidence in the structure that was supposed to safeguard her."

Sentencing Remarks

During sentencing, The presiding judge the judge stated: "We have to consider whether it can be dealt with in a different manner. We do not believe it can."

"We are satisfied the severity of the crime means it can only be resolved by incarceration."

He addressed the defendant: "The victim had the strength and intelligence to demand you halt and instructed you to leave the area, but you continued to the extent she believed she wouldn't be safe from you despite the fact she returned to her personal quarters."

He stated further: "The next morning, she disclosed the assault to her loved ones, her acquaintances and her commanding officers."

"Following the report, the unit chose to address your behavior with minimal consequences."

"You were subject to inquiry and you accepted your behavior had been improper. You wrote a apology note."

"Your career advanced unimpeded and you were in due course advanced to Warrant Officer 1."

Background Information

At the formal inquiry into the tragic passing, the official examiner said Capt James Hook pressured her to withdraw the complaint, and merely disclosed it to a military leadership "after information had leaked."

At the time, Webber was given a "light disciplinary meeting" with no additional penalties.

The inquest was also told that mere weeks after the violation Gunner Beck had further been facing "persistent mistreatment" by a separate individual.

Bombardier Ryan Mason, her line manager, transmitted to her more than 4,600 digital communications confessing his feelings for her, in addition to a fifteen-page "love story" detailing his "fantasies about her."

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Institutional Response

The Army said it provided its "sincerest condolences" to the soldier and her family.

"We continue to be deeply apologetic for the deficiencies that were discovered at the official inquiry in winter."

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