🔗 Share this article

Personal Photograph

An ex- service sergeant has been ordered to serve half a year in custody for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old soldier who later took her own life.

Warrant Officer Michael Webber, in his forties, pinned down soldier the victim and sought to force a kiss on her in mid-2021. She was discovered deceased five months later in her military accommodation at Larkhill military installation.

The convicted individual, who was judged at the military court in the Wiltshire region recently, will be transferred to a civilian prison and on the sex offenders register for seven years.

The family matriarch Leighann Mcready commented: "The assault, and how the military did not safeguard our young woman following the incident, led to her death."

Military Response

The Army said it did not listen to Gunner Beck, who was hailing from Cumbria's Oxen Park, when she filed the complaint and has said sorry for its handling of her allegations.

Subsequent to an inquest into the tragic death, Webber pleaded guilty to the offense of physical violation in September.

The grieving parent stated her daughter should have been sitting with her family in the courtroom today, "to witness the individual she reported brought to justice for what he did."

"Instead, we appear missing her, enduring endless sorrow that no loved ones should ever have to face," she added.

"She complied with procedures, but the individuals in charge failed in their duties. Those failures broke our young woman totally."

News Agency

Legal Hearing

The judicial body was informed that the assault happened during an military training at the training location, near Emsworth in Hampshire, in July 2021.

The sergeant, a senior officer at the period, made a sexual advance towards the servicewoman following an alcohol consumption while on assignment for a field training.

The servicewoman claimed Webber remarked he had been "waiting for a moment for them to be by themselves" before taking hold of her, pinning her down, and trying to kiss her.

She made official allegations against Webber after the incident, notwithstanding efforts by superiors to persuade her not to.

An inquest into her suicide found the armed forces' response of the report played "a significant contributory part in her suicide."

Parent's Account

In a testimony read out to the court earlier, the mother, stated: "The young woman had recently celebrated nineteen and will eternally stay a youth full of life and laughter."

"She trusted people to protect her and following the assault, the trust was gone. She was very upset and terrified of the accused."

"I witnessed the change firsthand. She felt powerless and betrayed. That violation broke her confidence in the system that was intended to protect her."

Court Ruling

During sentencing, The presiding judge the magistrate stated: "We must evaluate whether it can be addressed in an alternative approach. We are not convinced it can."

"We have determined the severity of the crime means it can only be addressed by immediate custody."

He addressed the convicted individual: "She had the strength and intelligence to tell you to stop and directed you to leave the area, but you continued to the point she considered she could not feel secure from you despite the fact she returned to her assigned barracks."

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

"Subsequent to the allegations, the military unit chose to deal with you with minimal consequences."

"You were interviewed and you acknowledged your behavior had been inappropriate. You prepared a written apology."

"Your military service continued completely unaffected and you were eventually elevated to higher rank."

Further Details

At the formal inquiry into the tragic passing, the investigating officer said a commanding officer pressured her to withdraw the complaint, and only reported it to a higher command "after information had leaked."

At the time, Webber was given a "minor administrative action interview" with no additional penalties.

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

Bombardier Ryan Mason, her line manager, directed toward her more than 4,600 digital communications confessing his feelings for her, along with a multi-page "personal account" describing his "personal thoughts."

Family handout

Organizational Reaction

The military leadership said it provided its "heartfelt apologies" to the soldier and her family.

"We continue to be sincerely regretful for the deficiencies that were noted at the formal investigation in winter."

"{The end of|The conclusion of|The completion