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An ex- military sergeant has been sentenced to 180 days in jail for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old soldier who later took her own life.

Sergeant Major the former sergeant, 43, held down service member the victim and sought to force a kiss on her in mid-2021. She was discovered deceased several months after in her barracks at Larkhill, Wiltshire.

The defendant, who was sentenced at the military court in the Wiltshire region previously, will be placed in a public jail and on the sex offenders register for multiple years.

The family matriarch Ms. Mcready commented: "The assault, and how the Army neglected to defend our young woman subsequently, cost Jaysley her life."

Official Reaction

The armed forces said it ignored the soldier, who was originally from Cumbria's Oxen Park, when she disclosed the incident and has expressed regret for its response to her allegations.

Following an investigation of the soldier's suicide, the defendant confessed to one count of physical violation in September.

The mother stated her daughter should have been sitting with her loved ones in legal proceedings this day, "to witness the man she accused facing consequences for what he did."

"Instead, we are present missing her, enduring endless sorrow that no family should ever experience," she continued.

"She followed the rules, but the accountable parties didn't follow theirs. Those failures broke our young woman completely."

PA

Court Proceedings

The court was informed that the violation occurred during an military training at the training location, near Emsworth in Hampshire, in July 2021.

The accused, a senior officer at the moment, made a sexual advance towards the soldier subsequent to an social gathering while on duty for a field training.

The servicewoman testified the sergeant said he had been "waiting for a moment for them to be in private" before taking hold of her, restraining her, and making unwanted advances.

She made official allegations against the sergeant following the assault, regardless of pressure by superiors to persuade her not to.

A formal investigation into her passing found the Army's handling of the complaint played "an important contributory part in her suicide."

Parent's Account

In a testimony shared to the tribunal previously, the mother, stated: "The young woman had only become 19 and will always be a teenager full of energy and happiness."

"She trusted people to safeguard her and following the assault, the faith was gone. She was deeply distressed and fearful of the accused."

"I witnessed the difference before my own eyes. She felt vulnerable and abandoned. That violation destroyed her confidence in the system that was supposed to protect her."

Court Ruling

While delivering judgment, Judge Advocate General the judge remarked: "We need to assess whether it can be addressed in another way. We do not believe it can."

"We are satisfied the severity of the offence means it can only be addressed by immediate custody."

He told the convicted individual: "The victim had the courage and good sense to tell you to stop and told you to retire for the night, but you carried on to the extent she felt she wouldn't be safe from you despite the fact she went back to her personal quarters."

He stated further: "The following day, she disclosed the assault to her loved ones, her companions and her chain of command."

"After the complaint, the military unit decided to handle the situation with minor administrative action."

"You were interviewed and you admitted your behavior had been unacceptable. You prepared a letter of apology."

"Your military service continued without interruption and you were in due course advanced to Warrant Officer 1."

Additional Context

At the investigation into the tragic passing, the official examiner said Capt James Hook pressured her to withdraw the complaint, and only reported it to a military leadership "after information had leaked."

At the time, Webber was given a "light disciplinary meeting" with no additional penalties.

The inquiry was additionally informed that just weeks after the assault the servicewoman had additionally been facing "continuous bullying" by another soldier.

A separate service member, her commanding individual, transmitted to her numerous SMS communications declaring attachments for her, in addition to a multi-page "personal account" detailing his "personal thoughts."

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Institutional Response

The armed forces said it offered its "deepest sympathies" to the soldier and her family.

"We will always be sincerely regretful for the deficiencies that were noted at the formal investigation in early this year."

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