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An ex- Army sergeant major has been given 180 days in prison for attacking a 19-year-old soldier who subsequently took her own life.

Warrant Officer the former sergeant, in his forties, held down Royal Artillery Gunner the victim and sought to kiss her in July 2021. She was discovered deceased half a year following in her military accommodation at the Wiltshire base.

The convicted individual, who was judged at the Court Martial Centre in the Wiltshire region previously, will be sent to a correctional facility and listed on sexual offenders list for a seven-year period.

Gunner Beck's mother the mother commented: "What he [Webber] did, and how the armed forces did not safeguard our daughter subsequently, resulted in her suicide."

Army Statement

The armed forces stated it did not listen to the servicewoman, who was originally from Cumbria's Oxen Park, when she disclosed the incident and has said sorry for its response to her allegations.

After an investigation of the soldier's suicide, the defendant confessed to one count of physical violation in September.

Ms McCready commented her child could have been alongside her family in legal proceedings this day, "to observe the person she filed against held accountable for his actions."

"Rather, we appear missing her, living a life sentence that no relatives should be forced to endure," she added.

"She followed the rules, but the accountable parties neglected their responsibilities. Those failures destroyed our daughter utterly."

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Legal Hearing

The court was advised that the assault occurred during an military training at the exercise site, near Emsworth in Hampshire, in mid-2021.

Webber, a senior officer at the time, made a sexual advance towards the soldier subsequent to an alcohol consumption while on deployment for a field training.

Gunner Beck stated Webber stated he had been "seeking a chance for them to be in private" before making physical contact, pinning her down, and attempting to force intimacy.

She made official allegations against Webber following the incident, notwithstanding efforts by commanding officers to convince her against reporting.

An official inquiry into her passing found the military's management of the allegations played "a significant role in her death."

Mother's Testimony

In a account read out to the judicial body earlier, the parent, said: "Our daughter had just turned nineteen and will always be a young person full of energy and happiness."

"She trusted individuals to safeguard her and post-incident, the faith was shattered. She was very upset and fearful of the accused."

"I saw the transformation before my own eyes. She felt powerless and betrayed. That incident shattered her confidence in the structure that was meant to protect her."

Judge's Statement

When announcing the verdict, Judge Advocate General the judge said: "We must evaluate whether it can be dealt with in a different manner. We do not believe it can."

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

He spoke to the convicted individual: "The servicewoman had the bravery and wisdom to tell you to stop and instructed you to go to bed, but you carried on to the point she felt she could not feel secure from you even when she returned to her assigned barracks."

He added: "The subsequent morning, she reported the incident to her family, her acquaintances and her military superiors."

"Subsequent to the allegations, the unit chose to address your behavior with minor administrative action."

"You were subject to inquiry and you admitted your behavior had been unacceptable. You prepared a written apology."

"Your professional path proceeded unimpeded and you were subsequently advanced to Warrant Officer 1."

Further Details

At the formal inquiry into the tragic passing, the investigating officer said a commanding officer put pressure on her to drop the allegations, and merely disclosed it to a higher command "after information had leaked."

At the time, the sergeant was given a "minimal consequence discussion" with no further consequences.

The investigation was also told that just weeks after the incident Gunner Beck had further been facing "relentless harassment" by a different service member.

Another soldier, her line manager, transmitted to her over four thousand six hundred SMS communications declaring attachments for her, along with a 15-page "personal account" describing his "personal thoughts."

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Institutional Response

The armed forces expressed it offered its "deepest sympathies" to the soldier and her family.

"We remain profoundly sorry for the deficiencies that were identified at the official inquiry in early this year."

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