Key facts
- Two army officers are on trial at a court martial for allegedly mishandling a sexual assault claim made by a soldier who later died by suicide.
- Jaysley Beck, 19, alleged a warrant officer touched her leg and tried to kiss her during a social event at a training exercise in July 2021.
- Colonel Samantha Shepherd is accused of misreporting the incident, allegedly stating no physical contact occurred.
- Major James Hook is accused of not treating the information passed to him with appropriate seriousness and being skeptical of Beck's account.
- The prosecution claims Shepherd deliberately suppressed details to prevent the case from reaching service police.
- Both officers deny charges of conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline.
A court martial has heard that two army officers allegedly failed to properly handle a sexual assault allegation made by a teenage soldier, Jaysley Beck, who subsequently died by suicide. The incident occurred in July 2021 during an adventure training exercise in Hampshire.
According to the prosecution, Beck, 19, told Colonel Samantha Shepherd that a warrant officer, Michael Webber, had touched her leg and attempted to kiss her during a social event. However, when Shepherd reported the incident to an adjutant, Major Mae King, she allegedly misrepresented the details, stating that no physical contact had been made. The prosecution contends that Shepherd deliberately edited the information to prevent the case from being referred to the service police.
Major James Hook, who was overseeing the exercise, is accused of not taking Beck's concerns seriously. The court heard that Hook was reportedly skeptical of Beck's account, believing she might be seeking to leave the training package. The prosecution suggested Hook's approach could be seen as pressuring her rather than empowering her, and questioned whether he knew he was dealing with a potential sexual assault.
Beck had been found distressed in her car by a colleague, Lance Corporal Drew Tudor, who testified emotionally about the incident. Tudor stated Beck told him Webber had "tried something on with her" and that he was concerned enough to want to report it.
Colonel Shepherd and Major Hook deny charges of conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline. The trial is ongoing at Catterick in North Yorkshire, with the assistant judge advocate general, Edward Legard, instructing the board to set aside any prior knowledge of the case and its media interest.