Sergeant who 'pinned down and kissed' soldier, 19, refuses to answer questions at her inquest

Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing

A senior officer accused of pinning down and trying to kiss a teenage soldier refused to answer questions about the incident at an inquest into her death.

Jaysley Beck, 19, was found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire on 15 December 2021, after experiencing an 'intense period of unwelcome behaviour' from high ranking staff.

An inquest into her death at Salisbury Coroner’s Court heard how she was 'scared' because of the 'psychotic and possessive' behaviour of her boss Bombardier Ryan Mason.

Jaysley believed he had hacked her phone and she received thousands of text messages from him in just a month.

A service inquiry report from 2023 concluded that the Army were 'almost certain' this was a causal factor in her passing, Sky News reports.

On Tuesday (11 February), the inquest also heard how another colleague, Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber, had allegedly 'pinned down' Jaysley to kiss her.

The incident, which is said to have left the 19-year-old in tears, is alleged to have taken place after a work social event in July 2021.

Jaysley Beck passed away in December 2021 (PA)

Lance Bombardier Kirsty Davis explained that following an adventure training exercise at Thorney Island, near Emsworth in Hampshire, Jaysey rang her about Webber's alleged behaviour.

"He was trying to kiss her and she was trying to push him away, but he was pinning her down," she said. "Jaysley had told him no, tried to get away from him but he had persisted so she left.

"Jaysley was in tears, she was upset. I think she was just frightened at what was going on."

Lance Corporal Drew Tudor told the inquest he had found Jaysley sleeping in her car the next morning and that she was 'clearly in distress'.

He explained: "Jaysley confided in me that Michael Webber had done something to her, touched her or tried to touch her, instigating something. I told her we need to say something because it's not right, which she wasn't overly keen on."

Webber, who is now of Warrant Officer Class 1 rank, refused to answer questions about the alleged incident in court today (12 February).

Jaysley had claimed that the sergeant had told her he'd been 'waiting for a moment for them to be alone' and participated in a drinking game called 'Last Man Standing'.

The late soldier claimed that Webber - then aged 39 - had grabbed her leg before trying to kiss her, and after rejecting his advances, Jaysley was left 'frightened' that he would come 'looking for her'.

She made a complaint to her superiors in the morning, resulting in Webber getting a 'minor sanction' and being forced to write a letter of apology.

After being sworn in as a witness at the inquest, the coroner warned Webber that he did not have to answer questions if he believed his response could incriminate him.

The 19-year-old made a complaint about Webber after the alleged incident (PA)

He confirmed that he had encountered Jaysley professionally before she went on the five-day adventure training package on Thorney Island.

After confirming he had encountered Jaysley in a professional capacity before Thorney Island, Webber then declined to answer questions when he was quizzed further about the circumstances surrounding the alleged incident.

He refused to elaborate on the behaviour he described as 'absolutely unacceptable' in his letter of apology to Jaysley, while he also declined to confirm whether he was drunk, had tried to kiss her or pinned her down.

He also declined to say whether he had been ordered to leave the island by Colonel Samantha Shepherd, who was the regimental colonel for the Royal Artillery in 2021.

Webber also rejected the opportunity to clarify whether he had told his wife that he put his hand on Jaysley’s leg when Alison Gerry, who is representing the soldier's family, asked him.

In reference to his apology letter to Jaysley, the sergeant said: "At the time, it was very much a genuine apology, that’s all it was."

Despite the blemish on his record due to the complaint Jaysley had made, the inquest heard that Webber was promoted to WO1 rank in May 2022.

After giving evidence, he confirmed that he intends to leave the Army later this year.

The Army report into Jaysley's death also said the Thorney Island incident was 'possibly a factor that may have influenced her failure to report other events that happened subsequently'.

The inquest continues.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.