Army officers cleared over handling of sexual assault

Two serving Army officers have been cleared of failing to properly deal with abuse allegations made by a teenage soldier who took her own life.

Maj James Hook and Col Samantha Shepherd were on trial at Military Court Centre at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire, in connection with the handling of concerns raised by Gunner Jaysley Beck, from Cumbria.

The 19-year-old took her own life at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire in 2021 after former Battery Sgt Michael Webber "pinned her down" and sexually assaulted her.

A board - which consisted of an Air Commodore, a Royal Navy captain and an Army colonel - returned a not guilty verdict for both officers due to "insufficient evidence".

The two senior officers were accused of "conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline" after their handling of the sexual assault case.

Prosecutors said Hook did not treat the matter with the seriousness it deserved, while Shepherd was accused of deliberately failing to pass on crucial details when Gunner Beck reported the assault.

Hook and Shepherd were charged by the Service Prosecution Authority earlier this year.

Shepherd was cleared of the charge first as "the Crown concluded that there [was] insufficient evidence" to "safely convict" her.

Her barrister, Derek Johashen, said: "Colonel Shepherd is relieved by the decision. But it's not about her."

Johashen added that his client fully understood the impact on Gunner Beck's family.

He said: "Her thoughts remain with them, and always will.

"She always believed Gunner Beck, took her complaint seriously, listened to her and cared."

In the case of Hook, Judge Advocate General Edward Legard said the evidence against him was "of an inconsistent, vague and tenuous nature".

"Both the legal and evidential basis on which the Crown alleges prejudice is flawed and uncertain," he told the court.

Legard added that Hook had no case to answer after prosecutors withdrew the case against his co-defendant.

Legard addressed the public gallery and said: "I do recognise that today's outcome is likely to cause some upset, particularly to those closely associated with the late Jaysley Beck. I fully understand why."

"I hope that you appreciate that the court's duty is to ensure that justice is served, and that applies to all parties involved," he added.

Gunner Beck's mother, Leighann McCready, was not in court to hear Maj Hook's acquittal.

In October, Webber was jailed for six months for sexual assault.

The attack happened at a Royal Artillery adventure training exercise on Thorney Island, in Chichester Harbour, in July 2021.

At the time, minister for veterans and people, Louise Sandher-Jones MP, described Jaysley's death as a "tragedy".

She said: "Let me be clear, there is no place for criminal or unacceptable behaviours within the military."

Assistant chief of general staff Maj Gen Jon Swift said the Army was "sorry we didn't listen to Jaysley when she first reported her assault".

He added: "We are determined to make sure the same mistakes don't happen again."

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