Jaysley Beck, 19, had a promising Army career ahead of her before “relentless” sexual harassment from her boss left her feeling “trapped” and “unsafe”.
The Royal Artillery Gunner was 16 when she joined the force and was incredibly passionate about the job she “loved”. But just three years after starting her career, the “loving” teen was found dead in a military camp in Wiltshire.
It is thought she took her own life after becoming fearful of “possessive and psychotic” boss, Bombardier Ryan Mason, who bombarded her with thousands of messages in a single month, an inquest heard today.
Jaysley’s distraught mother, Leighann McCready, told the inquest that her daughter “did not feel safe at work”. She also said that the tragic teen feared her boss had “hacked” her phone to track her location. An Army service inquiry report published in October 2023 determined that “an intense period of unwelcome behaviour” from Mason was a ‘causal factor’ in the young soldier’s suspected suicide.
The two-week inquest heard that Jaysley and Mason’s relationship started normally but he began ‘overstepping the mark’ and she became ‘scared’ of him. Bdr Mason – named for the first time today – told her ‘You’re amazing Jaysley’. The teen soldier had recieved more than 1,000 WhatsApp messages and voicemails from Mason in October 2021, and this figure increased to approximately 3,600 the following month.
In one message to Jaysley, on 21 October, Mason wrote: “Love you Jayse. As a friend.” Then on 11 November, he wrote: “You’re amazing Jayse, I appreciate you so much, I love everything about you, even your flaws. I will always be there along for the ride with you, I have said it before but you’re stuck with me forever now. I love you as a friend, I love you.”
Ms McCready told her daughter’s inquest that Mason knew where she was and once messaged her saying ‘Jaysley Beck I know you’re standing at the bottom of the building on your telephone’. The teen told her mother ‘it was becoming creepy’.
Mrs McCready, giving evidence, said her daughter did not want to inform anyone about Mason’s behaviour as she did not want to be known as ‘the female trouble-maker’. This was because the young soldier had already reported another married Sergeant who put his hand ‘between her legs’ and ‘inappropriately touched’ her.
According to the mum, Jaysley had initially viewed Mason as a friend, but in the weeks leading up to her death, she was left unable to deal with the onslaught of intense messages.
On November 25, the teen told her line manager: “This whole falling in love with me, its becoming a bit too much, I have just come out of a relationship and I’m just not wanting to be involved in anything like this. It’s weighing me down a little bit, I’ll be totally honest with you.” She added: “Totally honest here, I just don’t want to hear how you feel about me.”
Her mother told the inquest: “Ryan Mason was overstepping the mark of her friendliness and her nature; this was Jayse’s impression, and she made us aware that he is becoming a creep.”
One message showed that Jaysley feared she was being watched by Mason. She messaged: “When you said you seen me leave camp I was a bit taken back like are you watching me when you say things like ‘You’re there’ it’s just weird and the whole thing is just bizarre.”
In another message, dated December 4, she wrote: “It’s snapping me, I have replied to you and in the space of a couple of minutes you sent three texts and tried to phone me. Can you understand why I think it’s a bit too much?”
Ms McCready, of Oxen Park in Cumbria, stated that her daughter had viewed Mason as “a bit obsessive”. She told the inquest that Jaysley feared her boss organised it so that only she would attend work trips with him rather than other colleagues. The mum said: “There was a time when she was on the phone to me and said, ‘Mum, I think he’s hacked my phone’ because he knows exactly where I am standing and he’s meant to be away.”
The devastated mother said her daughter had phoned her on December 7, while staying in a Newbury hotel for work. During the call, she was “upset and crying” and was “afraid something would happen, she thought he had tracked her phone and was listening to her conversation”. She continued: “Ryan was freaking her out.”
The inquest was shown a draft text message Jaysley had planned to send Mason, which read: “I honestly feel trapped in this whole situation, I have tried to act as normal as possible because we are working together but nothing normal about this situation.
“It’s possessive and psychotic, you have to understand it’s not normal behaviour. I am struggling to deal with all of this, it’s taking a huge toll on my own mental health for many personal reasons. I need time out.”
Ms McCready told the inquest that her daughter had also been upset by the August 2020 suicide of her uncle and that she’d recently experienced the ending of a relationship. The hearing heard how she had complained about being assaulted by a sergeant who put his hand “between her legs” during a team-building stay at Thorney Island, near Emsworth, Hampshire, back in July 2021.
According to her mum, Gnr Beck had been too frightened to return to her room that evening and had instead slept in her car. Leighann told of how her daughter had then been angered by a subsequent apology letter from the sergeant, who received a minor sanction, which concluded with the offer that his “door was open” for her.
At the time of the Army report, Jaysley’s family’s lawyer, Emma Norton, from the Centre for Military Justice, issued the following statement: “It is hugely significant that the Army has admitted that this sexual harassment was a causative factor in her death. If there is one silver lining in this awful situation it is the fact that the Army has accepted that at this relatively early stage. I don’t think that would have happened a few years ago. The Army still has a systemic problem with misogyny and sexism. It’s taking steps to address this but they don’t go nearly far enough.”
Remembering Jaysley, her mother said: “She was just so loving, really had a heart of gold, would do anything for anyone. She always looked out for others and put others before herself. She was a very witty girl, a very mature girl. She was passionate about her career and was a strong member of her family and a loving sister to Emilli who is 24.”
An Army spokesperson said at the time: “Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Gunner Jaysley-Louise Beck’s family and friends at this difficult time. The circumstances surrounding Gunner Beck’s death, including the cause, are still to be determined by the coroner. It would be inappropriate to comment further until the coroner’s inquest has been completed.”
The hearing continues.
If you’re struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or visit their site to find your local branch
Do you have a story to share? Email me at [email protected]