Police investigated report soldier was harassed by supervisor before her death

Police investigated a report by the family of a teenage soldier that she had been the victim of harassment from her supervisor, an inquest heard.

Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck, 19, was found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire on December 15 2021.

Salisbury Coroners’ Court has heard how she received thousands of messages from Ryan Mason, who was a bombardier, in the months leading up to her death.

He is alleged to have booked and paid for hotel rooms next to each other for himself and Gunner Beck during a work trip a week before her death.

Mr Mason, who served in the core engagement team (CET) with Gunner Beck, also wrote a 14-page document which contained his “feelings towards Jaysley”, her inquest was told.

Detective Inspector Eirin Martin, of Wiltshire Police, said the force received a complaint from Gunner Beck’s mother, Leighann McCready, of Oxen Park, Cumbria, about Mr Mason’s conduct.

Ms Martin said: “After the coronial investigation, we received a complaint via an online report from Jaysley’s mother in relation to a complaint of harassment by Mr Mason against Jaysley.

“This evidenced the text messages we had seen from the family which were investigated, and disclosure by Jaysley’s friends and family.

“We conducted an investigation looking at harassment over that period of time and the conclusion was the evidence didn’t support a criminal harassment case.”

Ms Martin said the nature of the messages, and of the relationship between Mr Mason and Gunner Beck “didn’t amount to enough for us to go to the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service)”.

She added that prosecutions under Section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 must take place within six months of the offence, with that time limit exceeded by the time of the complaint.

The court heard that Mr Mason’s laptop was seized by police and a copy of a 14-page document was retrieved.

Ms Martin told the inquest: “It consisted of 14 pages of essentially a journal of his inner thoughts around his life, his relationships with colleagues, his working life and personal life, and contained a significant amount around his feelings towards Jaysley.”

Mr Mason, who is now a driving instructor, declined to answer a number of questions relating to his feelings for and behaviour towards Gunner Beck when he appeared at her inquest last week.

He had been advised by assistant coroner Nicholas Rheinberg that he did not have to answer questions if his answers were likely to incriminate him – a warning given to other witnesses during the inquest.

Last week, Warrant Officer Michael Webber declined to answer questions relating to an incident in which he allegedly pinned down Gunner Beck and attempted to kiss her while away on Thorney Island in July 2021.

He received a minor administrative action following the incident and was later promoted to Warrant Officer Class 1, the most senior soldier rank in the British Army.

And on Monday, George Higgins, a former sergeant who has since left the Army, declined to answer questions about whether his relationship with Gunner Beck had begun when she was a recruit in Harrogate.

The inquest heard that it is an offence under the Sexual Offences Act for someone in a position of trust to have sexual activity with a person aged under 18.

Emergency services attended Gunner Beck’s first floor room after colleagues discovered her body on December 15.

Ms Martin described the room as “very neat and tidy” and said the scene had been preserved before officers attended.

“The conclusion was that there was no third party involvement in Jaysley’s death,” she said.

“There was no signs of entry into her room, no evidence of any struggle. There were no signs of any disturbance to her body or on her person which you would expect to see with any third party involvement.”

Assistant Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg is due to give his conclusion in the inquest on Thursday.