A new hearing reveals details about the teenage army gunner found dead in her room, who had become increasingly scared that something might happen after her superior developed an unhealthy obsession with her, leading to thousands of messages.
The ongoing inquest into the tragic passing of 19-year-old Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck, whose body was discovered in her room at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire, England, has revealed disturbing information about her final days. Before her passing, Beck had expressed serious concerns about her boss, Bombardier Ryan Mason, describing his behavior as “psychotic and possessive.”
The hearing shows a possible link between Gunner Jaynsley Beck’s passing and Bombardier Ryan Mason’s obsession with her
Image credits: Leighann Mccready
Held in Salisbury, the inquest heard a moving testimony from Beck’s mother, Leighann McCready, who shared her daughter’s mounting dread and fear. McCready described how Mason sent Beck over 3,600 messages through WhatsApp in November 2021 alone and that her daughter felt he was becoming “a creep” and “a bit obsessive”.
“It was relentless,” McCready recalled, illustrating the image of a young woman overwhelmed by unwanted attention.
Jaynsley Beck’s mother stated her daughter felt Mason was becoming “a creep”
Image credits: Leighann Mccready
Beck’s mother, Leighann McCready, expressed that her daughter, who had been in the army for two years during the incident, “did not feel safe” as Mason continued his obsessive behavior.
McCready also stated: “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.”
Beck phoned her mother and told her that she was “afraid something would happen”
Image credits: Somchai Kongkamsri/Pexels (Not the actual photo)
According to McCreary’s statement, Beck phoned her on December 7 crying and told her that she was “afraid something would happen.” Unfortunately, Beck didn’t inform an official about the situation due to her worries about being labeled as a “female troublemaker.”
An Army service inquiry report published in October 2023 regarding Beck’s sudden passing highlighted the intensity of the situation, calling Beck’s harassment an “intense period of unwelcome behaviour.”
The hearing featured Mason’s disturbing messages to Beck
Image credits: Manor House Oxen Park
The inquiry added that it was “almost certain this was a causal factor” in Beck’s untimely passing. The acknowledgment shows the severe impact that such invasive behavior had on Beck, who felt increasingly confined and monitored.
The inquest in Salisbury featured Beck and Mason’s WhatsApp messages from October 2021 until December 2021.
Gunner Jaysley Beck messaged Mason: “It’s not normal behaviour”
Image credits: Manor House Oxen Park
On October 27, Mason messaged Beck: “I’m renaming you in my phone as the magician.” On November 11, 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 x As a friend, I love you.”
In a bid to express her suffocation to Mason, Beck messaged him: “This whole falling in love with me, it’s becoming a bit too much. It’s weighing me down a little bit,” on November 25. In another desperate attempt to ask for space and empathy, Beck had written an unsent message to Mason, which was found in her drafts, saying, “I honestly feel trapped in this whole situation… It’s crazy and possessive; you need to understand that it’s not normal behaviour.”
Gunner Jaysley Beck was sent over 3,600 messages in one month
Image credits: Manor House Oxen Park
Sadly, Beck’s emotional baggage became too heavy for her to carry, combined with her personal traumas, including her uncle’s suicide in August 2020 and a recent breakup she had gone through. The experiences piled up, complicating her mental state, which her mother believes contributed to her feelings of loneliness and hopelessness.
Beck’s coworker and friend, Bombardier John Wheeler, testified in a somber tone during the hearing about the army camp’s environment, reporting a culture that allowed “inappropriate relationships” between different ranks, resulting in a weakened trust in the line of command. Wheeler also mentioned a “love story” that Mason had written with characters clearly based on himself and Beck, which he saw as a clear case of sexual harassment.
The culture allowed “inappropriate relationships” between different ranks
Image credits: Manor House Oxen Park
The inquiry also mentioned another troubling incident Beck had experienced with a different superior. According to the army report, Beck had reported being assaulted by a sergeant during a team-building trip in Hampshire back in July 2021.
The incident caused her to spend the night sleeping in her car as she was too scared to return to her room. Beck’s mother stated that the sergeant’s subsequent apologies, which ended with the words “[his] door was open” for her, were met with anger and disbelief, as Beck thought he was mocking her.
Harassment in the workplace takes its toll on women
Image credits: Jaysley Beck
Image credits: Wikimedia
Beck’s life was marked by a series of personal and professional problems, which were highlighted throughout the inquiry in detail. The army’s inquiry report also included “contributory factors” such as the stress of having intimate relations with a married colleague and an “unhealthy approach to alcohol,” along with Mason’s disturbing obsession with her.
Despite the significant advances we’re making in the 21st century, gender-related workplace harassment is still a pretty common issue that targets women of all ages, races, and backgrounds. If you or someone you know is experiencing harassment in the workplace, please refer to valuable resources such as the United Nations Women Handbook: Addressing violence and harassment against women in the world of work.
The news sparked a wave of angry comments across the web
English (US) ·