A court martial at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire has heard that a teenage soldier who died by suicide was let down by two officers after reporting concerning behaviour by a senior non-commissioned officer.

Gunner Jaysley Beck, aged 19, died in December 2021. Prosecutors stated that Beck had informed Colonel Samantha Shepherd and Major James Hook about an incident involving Warrant Officer Michael Webber during a Royal Artillery training exercise on Thorney Island in West Sussex in July 2021. According to Commander Paul Patterson, prosecuting, Beck had provided enough detail to suggest she may have been sexually assaulted.

Hook, who was a captain leading the exercise at the time, and Shepherd, were both accused of failing to respond appropriately to Beck’s report. Commander Patterson told the court that Hook did not treat Beck’s information with the seriousness it warranted and that Shepherd deliberately misreported what she had been told. He asserted that both officers "let down" the young soldier.

Details presented at the hearing revealed that on the night of July 12, Webber, Beck, and Lance Corporal Drew Tudor had been drinking together until the early hours of July 13. The following morning, Tudor found Beck asleep in her car, where she disclosed the incident involving Webber to him. Tudor then brought Hook to speak with Beck, who reiterated her account. Hook subsequently took Beck for a walk and reportedly gave her until noon to decide whether to make a formal complaint, a gesture the prosecution described as potentially pressuring the soldier.

Later, Hook informed a senior officer by phone that Webber had "made a pass" at Beck. Shepherd also spoke with Beck about the incident, but she is accused of failing to pass critical information to Captain Mae King, the adjutant at the 14 Regiment Royal Artillery responsible for discipline. When questioned by King, Shepherd reportedly denied any physical contact had occurred.

Both Hook and Shepherd deny charges of conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline. The court martial is ongoing.