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An ex- Army sergeant major has been ordered to serve half a year in custody for attacking a 19-year-old soldier who afterwards ended her life.

Warrant Officer the former sergeant, forty-three, pinned down soldier the victim and tried to kiss her in the summer of 2021. She was discovered deceased five months later in her barracks at the Wiltshire base.

The defendant, who was given his punishment at the legal proceedings in the Wiltshire region earlier, will be sent to a civilian prison and on the sexual offenders list for seven years.

Gunner Beck's mother Leighann Mcready remarked: "What he [Webber] did, and how the military did not safeguard our child following the incident, resulted in her suicide."

Military Response

The Army stated it did not listen to the soldier, who was hailing from Oxen Park in Cumbria, when she reported the assault and has apologised for its management of her allegations.

Subsequent to an inquest into Gunner Beck's death, the defendant admitted to one count of physical violation in the autumn.

The grieving parent stated her child should have been present with her loved ones in court now, "to witness the person she accused held accountable for his actions."

"Conversely, we appear without her, enduring endless sorrow that no relatives should be forced to endure," she added.

"She followed the rules, but the individuals in charge didn't follow theirs. Those failures destroyed our daughter utterly."

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Court Proceedings

The court was advised that the incident happened during an military training at the exercise site, near Emsworth in Hampshire, in summer 2021.

The accused, a ranking soldier at the time, initiated inappropriate contact towards the servicewoman subsequent to an social gathering while on deployment for a military exercise.

The victim stated the sergeant said he had been "waiting for a moment for them to be alone" before taking hold of her, restraining her, and trying to kiss her.

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

An inquest into her passing found the military's management of the allegations played "a significant contributory part in her death."

Family Statement

In a account read out to the court previously, the mother, stated: "The young woman had only become nineteen and will always be a young person full of life and laughter."

"She trusted individuals to protect her and post-incident, the confidence was gone. She was deeply distressed and terrified of the sergeant."

"I observed the change personally. She felt helpless and deceived. That violation shattered her faith in the system that was intended to look after her."

Judge's Statement

While delivering judgment, Judge Advocate General the judge remarked: "We have to consider whether it can be dealt with in an alternative approach. We do not consider it can."

"We are satisfied the severity of the violation means it can only be dealt with by immediate custody."

He spoke to Webber: "The victim had the bravery and wisdom to demand you halt and told you to retire for the night, but you continued to the degree she felt she wouldn't be safe from you even if she retreated to her assigned barracks."

He added: "The following day, she disclosed the assault to her loved ones, her acquaintances and her commanding officers."

"Following the report, the military unit decided to address your behavior with minor administrative action."

"You underwent questioning and you accepted your behavior had been inappropriate. You prepared a apology note."

"Your military service proceeded unimpeded and you were subsequently advanced to senior position."

Background Information

At the investigation into the tragic passing, the official examiner said a commanding officer influenced her to withdraw the complaint, and merely disclosed it to a higher command "once details became known."

At the moment, Webber was given a "minor administrative action interview" with no further consequences.

The investigation was further advised that only a short time after the assault the servicewoman had additionally been facing "relentless harassment" by a separate individual.

A separate service member, her superior officer, transmitted to her numerous SMS communications declaring attachments for her, in addition to a 15-page "romantic narrative" describing his "imagined scenarios."

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Institutional Response

The Army expressed it provided its "sincerest condolences" to Gunner Beck and her loved ones.

"We remain profoundly sorry for the shortcomings that were discovered at the formal investigation in early this year."

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