Two senior officers cleared of charges relating to teenage soldier Jaysley Beck

Two senior Army officers have been cleared of allegations that they failed to properly deal with abuse allegations made by Gunner Jaysley Beck five months before the teenage soldier took her own life.A court martial has heard how Colonel Samantha Shepherd and Major James Hook were both told by Gunner Beck about an incident on a training exercise when she disclosed inappropriate behaviour by one of her non-commissioned officers.Prosecutors said that Maj Hook did not treat the matter with the seriousness it deserved and Col Shepherd deliberately failed to pass on crucial details when she reported the matter.The Military Court Centre at Catterick Courts Centre in Yorkshire (PA)PA ArchiveGunner Beck was found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire in December 2021.But, on Wednesday, both were found not guilty on the orders of Judge Advocate General Edward Legard, who said there was insufficient evidence for the board of three senior military officers to safely convict either defendant of the charge of “conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline”.In the case of Maj Hook, the judge said: “The evidence in this case is of an inconsistent, vague and tenuous nature.“Both the legal and evidential basis on which the the Crown alleges prejudice is flawed and uncertain.”The judge ruled that Maj Hook had no case to answer after prosecutors had earlier withdrawn the case against Col Shepherd.Both actions resulted in the board formally recording not guilty verdicts.Watched from the public gallery by Gunner Beck’s mother, Leighann McCready, Col Shepherd’s barrister Derek Johashen told the judge: “Colonel Shepherd remains devastated by Gunner Beck’s passing.“Colonel Shepherd is relieved by the decision.“But it’s not about her.”Mr Johashen said his client fully understood the impact on Gunner Beck’s family of the events of the last four or five years.He said: “Her thoughts remain with them, and always will.“She always believed Gunner Beck, took her complaint seriously, listened to her and cared.”Ms McCready was not in court to hear Maj Hook being acquitted.The judge addressed the public gallery, saying: “I do recognise that today’s outcome is likely to cause some upset, particularly to those closely associated with the late Jaysley Beck.Read More“I fully understand why.”But he said: “I hope that you appreciate that the court’s duty is to ensure that justice is served, and that applies to all parties involved.”Earlier this week, the court martial at Catterick Garrison, in North Yorkshire, heard how Gunner Beck told both defendants about an incident which happened on a Royal Artillery adventure training exercise on Thorney Island, in Chichester Harbour, in July 2021.The pair have been cleared after a Catterick Garrison court martial (PA)PA ArchiveThe board heard how Gunner Beck was found asleep in her car by Lance Corporal Drew Tudor the morning after a drinking session at a barbeque during the exercise.Gunner Beck made allegations about Warrant Officer Michael Webber to L/Cpl Tudor, who reported them to Maj Hook, who was then a captain running the exercise.The court heard how Maj Hook got into the car and Gunner Beck repeated allegations against the warrant officer.The officer and the young soldier then went for a walk together and Maj Hook gave the teenager until noon to decide whether she wanted to make a complaint.The major denied in interviews that Gunner Jaysley had ever disclosed to him that she had been physically touched by Warrant Officer Webber.He said he had wanted to give the soldier time to consider whether she wanted to make the complaint as she had disclosed that she did not want to see the warrant officer face a court martial.The court heard how Maj Hook did report the incident up the chain-of-command later that day, despite Gunner Beck’s reluctance.Gunner Beck later told Col Shepherd what happened with Warrant Officer Webber and the senior officer then went to see Captain Mae King – an officer whose role it was to advise on disciplinary matters in the Royal Artillery.Col Shepherd denied that she deliberately failed to mention to Captain King that the teenager had alleged the warrant officer had touched her, or tried to touch her.Captain King, who is now a major, was asked detailed questions about what Col Shepherd told her when she gave evidence at the court martial on Tuesday.Michael Webber, 43, was jailed for six months by a military court last year after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting Gunner Beck five months before her death.An inquest into the 19-year-old’s death found the incident and the Army’s failure to take appropriate action “more than minimally” contributed to her death.