Two senior Army officers accused of misconduct over their handling of a sexual assault complaint made by teenage soldier Gunner Jaysley Beck have been cleared after a judge dismissed the case against them.
Colonel Samantha Shepherd and Major James Hook had been on trial at a court martial at Catterick Garrison, accused of conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline under the Armed Forces Act 2006.
Gunner Beck, 19, was found dead at her barracks in December 2021, five months after she was sexually assaulted by Warrant Officer Michael Webber, who was subsequently jailed for six months.
The court heard Gunner Beck told Col Shepherd and Maj Hook about what had happened in the hours following the assault during an Army training exercise in Hampshire in July 2021.
Prosecutors alleged Col Shepherd failed to pass crucial details of the allegation to her superiors because she did not want a service police investigation involving her regiment.
Maj Hook was accused of failing to take the allegation seriously and attempting to persuade Gunner Beck to drop her complaint.
However, both officers were acquitted on the second day of proceedings.
Judge dismisses case against officers
Judge Advocate Edward Legard dismissed the prosecution case, describing the evidence as “inconsistent, vague and tenuous”.
He said the legal and evidential basis upon which the prosecution alleged prejudice was “flawed and uncertain”.
The court heard that Major Hook did report the sexual assault through the chain of command, bringing it to the attention of Major Richard Lupton at Larkhill Barracks.
The judge also found there was no direct evidence that Maj Hook had attempted to discourage Gunner Beck from pursuing her complaint.
Mother says Army ‘let our daughter down badly’
The outcome comes after an inquest into Gunner Beck’s death concluded that the Army’s mishandling of her sexual assault complaint played “more than a minimal contributory part” in her death.
Her mother, Leighann McCready, said the family respected the court martial’s decision and recognised that both defendants had been acquitted.
But she said the findings of the earlier inquest remained.
Mrs McCready said: “Despite the outcome of these court martial proceedings, it remains true to say, the Army let our daughter down badly.”
She added: “We will keep pushing for a system where those who speak out are protected, believed, and never left to face it alone.”
Following Col Shepherd’s acquittal, her barrister said she remained devastated by Gunner Beck’s death and was relieved by the court’s decision.
