Two senior army officers have denied charges related to the death of teenage soldier Jaysley Beck, who took her own life after being sexually assaulted by a superior. Colonel Samantha Shepherd and Major James Hook appeared via video-link at the Military Court Centre at Catterick Garrison on Wednesday, pleading not guilty to 'conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline'.
The charges concern how the officers handled information before Beck, 19, was found dead in her barracks at Larkhill Camp, Wiltshire, in 2021. Former senior non-commissioned officer Michael Webber, 43, was jailed for six months in 2025 after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting Beck five months before her death. An inquest found the incident and the army's failure to act 'more than minimally' contributed to her death.
Shepherd faces two charges: failing to report an alleged sexual assault to the service police in July 2021, and misreporting what Beck told her to another person. Hook faces a single charge of failing to treat information from Beck with appropriate seriousness. Judge Adjutant General Alan Large set a trial date for 14 September, with the venue yet to be decided.
Beck's mother, Leighann McCready, expressed ongoing concerns about army failings but declined to comment further on the charges. The court heard that Webber engaged Beck in a drinking game before assaulting her; she pushed him away and reported the incident to superiors, but it was not passed to police.
