Senior Officers Accused Of Letting Down Jaysley Beck Before Her Death.
A court martial has heard that two senior British Army officers allegedly let down 19-year-old Gunner Jaysley Beck after she told them about an incident in which she may have been sexually assaulted several months before her death.
Beck, who was originally from Bradford and lived in Cumbria, was serving with the Royal Artillery when the alleged incident took place during an adventure training exercise in Hampshire in July 2021. She later died at Larkhill Garrison in Wiltshire in December 2021.
The military court in Catterick, North Yorkshire, is hearing allegations against Colonel Samantha Shepherd and Major James Hook. Both officers are accused of conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline and deny the charges. The proceedings are ongoing, meaning the allegations have not been finally determined by the court.
Prosecutors told the court that Beck spoke to both officers about an incident involving Warrant Officer Michael Webber, who was senior to her. She had reportedly told colleagues that Webber had behaved in a sexual manner towards her during a social event connected to the training exercise.
The prosecution alleges that Major Hook did not treat the information with the seriousness it required, while Colonel Shepherd is accused of misrepresenting important parts of what Beck had told her. Prosecutors say the officers had received enough information to understand that a potential sexual assault had been reported.
Evidence presented to the court also described the circumstances in which Beck was found distressed in her car following the incident. Lance Corporal Drew Tudor told the court that he was concerned enough about what Beck had told him to want to report it. The court also heard evidence from Major Mae King about how the incident was subsequently understood within the chain of command.
The case follows the earlier prosecution of Michael Webber, who admitted sexually assaulting Beck and was sentenced to six months in prison in October 2025. Reports from the earlier proceedings said the assault had not been properly investigated after Beck reported what had happened.
The handling of Beck's case has also been examined through an inquest, which raised serious concerns about how her complaint was dealt with within the Army. The current court martial is focused specifically on the conduct of Shepherd and Hook, and the proceedings remain ongoing.
Beck's family has continued to seek accountability over the circumstances surrounding her treatment within the Army. Her mother, Leighann McCready, has previously spoken publicly about the family's efforts to secure answers and changes to the way complaints involving sexual misconduct are handled.
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