Army officers cleared of charge over teen soldier who later took her own life

Two senior Army officers have been cleared by a court martial of failing to deal properly with allegations made by a young soldier who took her own life a few months later.

Gunner Jaysley Beck, 19, died at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire in December 2021, a board of three senior military officers heard.

Colonel Samantha Shepherd and Major James Hook were on trial at the Military Court Centre at Catterick Garrison, in North Yorkshire.

Both officers were accused of "conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline" but were found not guilty on Wednesday on the orders of Judge Advocate General Edward Legard.

The judge said there was insufficient evidence for the board - which is made up of an air commodore, a Royal Navy captain and an Army colonel - to safely convict either defendant of the charge.

On Tuesday, prosecutors said both senior officers "let down" Gunner Beck when she told them about an incident on a Royal Artillery adventure training exercise on Thorney Island, in Chichester Harbour, in July 2021.

Gunner Beck informed both officers about Warrant Officer Michael Webber's behaviour towards her at a social event during the exercise, the court martial board heard.

Prosecutors said the young soldier "told each of them enough" to understand she may have been sexually assaulted.

On Wednesday, the judge told the board: "The Crown has concluded that there is insufficient evidence upon which you can safely convict Colonel Shepherd of the charge she faces."

In the case of Major 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 Crown alleges prejudice is flawed and uncertain."

The judge ruled that Major Hook had no case to answer after prosecutors had earlier withdrawn the case against Colonel Shepherd.

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Both actions resulted in the board formally recording not guilty verdicts.

The court martial heard how Gunner Beck told Colonel 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.

The allegation against Colonel Shepherd was 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.

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