A teenage soldier, Jaysley Beck, was found dead at her base camp after receiving thousands of “unwelcome” messages from her boss, Bombardier Ryan Mason. Beck, a Royal Artillery Gunner, was discovered at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire, UK, on December 15, 2021.
An inquest revealed that the constant messaging made her feel scared and uncomfortable, with some messages so invasive that she even believed her phone had been hacked. In just one month — November 2021 — she received over 3,600 messages from Mason.
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Who was Jaysley Beck?
Jaysley Beck, just 19 years old, was found dead at Larkhill Camp on December 15, 2021. She was serving as a Royal Artillery Gunner in the UK.
The role of Bombardier Ryan Mason
Her boss, Bombardier Ryan Mason, sent her disturbing messages that were later seen as a major factor in her death.
A service inquiry report published in 2023 highlighted how the constant texts contributed to the tragedy.
The disturbing number of messages sent
Beck was overwhelmed by texts from Mason, with 3,600 messages in November 2021 alone. That’s an insane amount of messages over such a short time.
Jaysley Beck’s growing fear and discomfort
Beck’s mom, Leighann McCready, explained that Jaysley felt unsafe as time went on. The situation became unbearable for her.
Text messages and their impact
Mason sent messages like: “Love you Jayse. As a friend,” and “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.”
Beck replied to one message on November 25th:
“This whole falling in love with me, it’s 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. Totally honest here, I just don’t want to hear how you feel about me.”
Jaysley’s struggle with the situation
Beck even said she felt like Mason was watching her. On December 4th, she told her mom, “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?”
She even feared Mason had hacked her phone and was organizing trips with her more than other colleagues. On December 7th, Beck called her mom, upset and crying, thinking something bad was about to happen.
The earlier assault by a sergeant
Before this, Beck had complained about being assaulted by a sergeant during a team-building trip in July 2021. He put his hand “between her legs,” and the sergeant only received a minor punishment.
This situation might have made it harder for her to report further incidents, including those with Mason.
Family concerns about Jaysey’s situation
Beck had told her family that Mason was “becoming a creep.” Her mom pointed out that he was overstepping boundaries.
The impact of previous personal challenges
Beck had already been dealing with personal struggles. Her uncle’s suicide in August 2020 and a recent breakup added extra emotional weight.
The ongoing inquest and its findings
During the inquest, a draft message Beck wrote to Mason was revealed: “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 behavior. 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.”
The inquest is still ongoing, and more details are expected.
