Two senior British Army officers are set to face a court martial regarding their conduct in the case of Gunner Jaysley Beck, a teenage soldier who was sexually assaulted just months before she tragically took her own life. The charges stem from an incident that occurred at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire back in 2021, highlighting serious concerns about institutional handling of such complaints within the military.
Details of the Tragic Case
Gunner Jaysley Beck was only 19 years old when she died by suicide at the military base. A subsequent inquest into her death delivered a damning conclusion, finding that the sexual assault she endured and the Army's subsequent failure to take appropriate action had "more than minimally" contributed to her untimely death. This finding has placed significant scrutiny on the chain of command and their responsibilities toward junior personnel.
The Assault and Its Aftermath
The assault itself involved former senior non-commissioned officer Michael Webber, who was 43 at the time. Webber, then serving as a battery sergeant major in the Royal Artillery, engaged Gunner Beck in a drinking game before inappropriately touching her thigh and attempting to kiss her. Beck managed to push him away and spent that night locked in her car for safety, before bravely making a formal complaint to her superiors the following morning.
However, the handling of her complaint was deeply flawed. The incident was not reported to civilian police authorities. Instead, Webber merely wrote a letter of apology to Beck. Astonishingly, he was later promoted within the service, a decision that has since been heavily criticised. In 2025, Webber was eventually jailed for six months by a military court after pleading guilty to the sexual assault, which occurred just five months prior to Beck's death.
Officers Charged and Institutional Response
It is understood that Major James Hook and Colonel Samantha Shepherd are the two officers now facing a court martial over their actions relating to Gunner Beck's case. The charges are under Section 19 of the Armed Forces Act, pertaining to conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson confirmed the charges on Friday, stating: "Following an investigation by the Defence Serious Crime Command, we can confirm two individuals have been charged with offences under Section 19, Armed Forces Act. It would be inappropriate to comment further as legal proceedings are ongoing."
Systemic Changes Following the Tragedy
In the wake of Gunner Beck's death, the Ministry of Defence has implemented several significant reforms aimed at improving how serious complaints are managed. These include the establishment of a dedicated Defence Serious Crime Command and the launch of a violence against women and girls taskforce. More recently, there has been an agreement in principle to remove the handling of serious complaints from the individual armed services, centralising the process to ensure greater accountability and consistency.
Al Carns, the minister for the armed forces, reflected on the case in 2025, stating: "I think the Gunner Beck case was a horrendous failing of the system. What I can tell you is in the last several years there's been lots of changes – in the last year we've really made a proactive move to create the correct systems so no woman ever feels alone again in defence."
These developments underscore a broader effort within the British military to address systemic issues and prevent similar tragedies in the future, as the court martial proceedings for the two officers move forward.
