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An ex- military sergeant has been given 180 days in jail for committing sexual assault against a teenage servicewoman who later took her own life.

Warrant Officer the former sergeant, forty-three, restrained soldier the victim and sought to kiss her in the summer of 2021. She was found dead several months after in her military accommodation at Larkhill, Wiltshire.

The convicted individual, who was given his punishment at the military court in the Wiltshire region previously, will be transferred to a civilian prison and registered as sexual offenders list for multiple years.

The victim's mother the mother commented: "What he [Webber] did, and how the armed forces did not safeguard our young woman following the incident, resulted in her suicide."

Army Statement

The Army acknowledged it failed to hear the servicewoman, who was originally from Cumbria's Oxen Park, when she disclosed the incident and has expressed regret for its management of her allegations.

Subsequent to a formal inquiry regarding the soldier's suicide, the accused confessed to one count of sexual assault in September.

The mother stated her daughter ought to have been present with her loved ones in the courtroom this day, "to see the man she accused brought to justice for what he did."

"Conversely, we appear without her, living a life sentence that no relatives should ever experience," she continued.

"She adhered to protocols, but the individuals in charge didn't follow theirs. Such negligence shattered our child totally."

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Judicial Process

The legal tribunal was advised that the incident took place during an adventure training exercise at the training location, near Hampshire's Emsworth, in summer 2021.

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

The servicewoman testified the sergeant remarked he had been "seeking a chance for them to be in private" before grabbing her leg, pinning her down, and trying to kiss her.

She made official allegations against the sergeant subsequent to the incident, despite attempts by superiors to convince her against reporting.

An official inquiry into her passing found the military's management of the report played "more than a minimal role in her demise."

Mother's Testimony

In a statement read out to the judicial body previously, the mother, expressed: "The young woman had just turned nineteen and will forever remain a teenager full of life and laughter."

"She trusted authorities to defend her and post-incident, the faith was gone. She was deeply distressed and scared of Michael Webber."

"I observed the change before my own eyes. She felt vulnerable and abandoned. That assault destroyed her trust in the set-up that was supposed to safeguard her."

Court Ruling

When announcing the verdict, The presiding judge the magistrate said: "We have to consider whether it can be handled in an alternative approach. We do not consider it can."

"We conclude the severity of the offence means it can only be addressed by prison time."

He addressed the defendant: "She had the bravery and wisdom to demand you halt and instructed you to retire for the night, but you continued to the point she felt she would remain in danger from you despite the fact she retreated to her assigned barracks."

He continued: "The following day, she reported the incident to her loved ones, her acquaintances and her chain of command."

"After the complaint, the unit decided to deal with you with minor administrative action."

"You underwent questioning and you accepted your behavior had been inappropriate. You wrote a written apology."

"Your military service advanced without interruption and you were subsequently promoted to higher rank."

Additional Context

At the inquest into the tragic passing, the official examiner said a commanding officer pressured her to drop the allegations, and just informed it to a higher command "when the cat was already out of the bag."

At the moment, the accused was given a "minor administrative action interview" with no serious repercussions.

The investigation was further advised that only a short time after the assault the soldier had also been facing "continuous bullying" by another soldier.

Bombardier Ryan Mason, her commanding individual, transmitted to her numerous digital communications confessing his feelings for her, along with a fifteen-page "love story" outlining his "fantasies about her."

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Official Statement

The armed forces said it provided its "deepest sympathies" to the soldier and her relatives.

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

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