In December 2021, nineteen-year-old Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck was found dead at Larkhill Camp, her base in Wiltshire, raising serious concerns about harassment in the army.
The inquest suggests she died by suicide after months of obsessive, distressing behavior from a senior colleague, Bombardier Ryan Mason.
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Now, during the ongoing inquest, Mason has spoken out for the first time, tearfully denying he was ‘obsessed’ with Jaysley.
Let’s go through Mason’s response to the accusations, his take during the inquest, and what really happened in the lead-up to her death.
Jaysey reported harassment months before her death
In July 2021, a few months before her death, Jaysley reported an incident involving Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber. She said a soldier tried to pin her down and kiss her.
Even though she reported it, things at work didn’t really get better. The uncomfortable behavior just kept going.
Thousands of messages from a senior colleague
The inquest revealed that in just November 2021, Mason — who outranked and was older than Jaysley — bombarded her with about 3,600 messages.
These messages included things like “I love you” and “You’re amazing, Jaysley,” even though she made it clear she didn’t feel the same way.
Obsessive and distressing behavior
Jaysley described Mason’s behavior as ‘obsessive’ and even ‘psychotic’. She told people she felt unsafe and thought he might’ve hacked her phone to track her.
The situation was clearly taking a toll on her.
The distressing hotel incident
On December 7, 2021, Jaysley was at an event with Mason and another soldier, staying at a hotel in Newbury.
Jaysley’s mom, Ms. McCready, remembered getting a call from Jaysley that night, saying she was “upset and crying.” She told her mom she was scared “something would happen.”
She genuinely believed Mason had tracked her phone and was “listening to her conversation” — and she left the trip early because of how uncomfortable it got.
Later, she texted Mason saying, “I honestly feel trapped in this whole situation, I have tried to act as normal as possible because we are working together but nothing is normal about this situation. I have tried to be there for you as a friend but it completely crossed the line of that a long time ago.
“I have felt so uncomfortable at this event, I have literally cried about it and been up worrying about it. The truth is I am struggling to deal with all this, it’s taken a huge toll on my mental health for many reasons. I need time out.”
The accused’s response and denials
During the inquest, Mason broke down in tears, saying he’d struggled with mental health issues and self-harm before. But he denied the accusations, claiming he never asked Jaysley to sleep with him or touched her inappropriately.
When asked about his questionable behavior, he often refused to answer.
Impact on the victim’s mental health
Jaysley’s messages made it clear she was struggling. She talked about how overwhelming and exhausting it was to deal with Mason’s constant attention. It was more than she could handle.
While Mason gave his testimony, Jaysley’s mom couldn’t even look at him
The family’s lawyer described Mason as “obsessed, possessive, jealous, and manipulative.”
A 2023 army report supported this, saying the “intense period of unwelcome behavior” was “almost certain” to have played a role in Jaysley’s death.
The inquest is still ongoing
But there are growing demands for better protection for military personnel and stricter accountability for inappropriate behavior. The case has made it clear that the army needs to take these issues more seriously.
Jaysley Beck’s death is a heartbreaking reminder of how damaging harassment can be.
Her family is still fighting for justice, hoping her story will lead to real changes so no one else has to go through this.
