Boss denies making soldier feel 'unsafe' at hotel

Ryan Mason has declined to provide details on the incident, which subsequently caused him to remove himself from his duties

A Bombardier who left his post the day after a female soldier said his harassment had "gone too far" claims he has no knowledge of an alleged hotel incident between them, an inquest into her death has been told.

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

She had been subjected to an "intense period of unwelcome behaviour" from Bombardier Ryan Mason, her line manager at the time, the inquest has heard.

Gunner Beck abandoned an overnight deployment in Newbury a week before her death because she felt "unsafe" in his company, but Mr Mason has denied knowing why.

Gunner Jaysley Beck made a sudden departure from an overnight training exercise after an unknown incident occurred at a hotel

The nine-day hearing, which began at Salisbury Coroner's Court on Monday, was shown a series of messages between Gunner Beck and Mr Mason.

Between October and December 2021, Mr Mason sent Gunner Beck more than 4,600 messages confessing his feelings for her.

The inquest has uncovered Gunner Beck felt "weighed down" by his declarations of love, which had "crossed the line" of both professionalism and friendship.

In a Whatsapp message, she said: "I genuinely feel trapped in this whole situation.

"I'm trying to be there for you as a friend but it completely crossed the line of that a long time ago. I feel so uncomfortable."

Mr Mason told Gunner Beck he was "head over heels" for her, and thought about her constantly

Mr Mason's behaviour intensified during the final weeks of Gunner Beck's life, and reached a climax point while on a training exercise in Newbury on 7 December.

Bombardier George Young previously told the hearing he received a phone call from Gunner Beck, who was "trembling, crying and in shock".

"She said that it had gone too far, that she could no longer deal with being around Ryan," he said.

"The intensity of the behaviour had really ramped up in terms of what was being said. I think he'd tried knocking on her hotel room door as well."

Bombardier Young picked her up from the hotel where she was staying and drove her back to Larkhill Camp.

In a text message to Mr Mason, Gunner Beck told him she was "going back to Larkhill tonight".

Mr Mason replied: "There is zero reason to feel unsafe Jaysley, there is nothing to worry about."

When asked what happened to make Gunner Beck "so frightened", Mr Mason responded "I don't know".

"There was no arguing, no anger, I didn't even see her the night she left," he claimed.

Gunner Beck (unblurred) was described as the "epitome" of what the military looked for in soldiers

Gunner Sevanaia Nainima was the only other soldier deployed to the event.

He told the inquest on Thursday Mr Mason came knocking on his hotel room door to inform him Gunner Beck had left due to a "welfare issue".

"The way he was telling me, he was fuming, he was really upset," Gunner Nainmima recalled.

"It was anger, not concern for her wellbeing, it was anger."

The inquest was told Mr Mason failed to report Gunner Beck's sudden departure from the training exercise to senior officers, despite it being a requirement as her line manager.

When asked why he chose not to, he replied: "I decline to answer."

Gunner Beck's mother, Leighann McCready, refused to look at Mr Mason as he gave evidence in court.

Instead, she focused on her daughter's military uniform, which sat neatly folded on the desk in front of her.

Gunner Beck called a friend "crying and in shock", asking him to pick her up from the hotel

The following day, Mr Mason texted Gunner Beck to inform her he was removing himself from his post.

He wrote: "After what you said, I'm only doing this to make sure you can continue as normal and keep on the upwards path you're on.

"Hopefully you can still talk because I'd hate to think that this is it. Again I'm sorry you feel like this, as you know, this is nothing I ever intended or thought would happen. Speak soon, maybe."

A few days later, Gunner Beck was found dead in her room.

'White as a ghost'

On Thursday, Lance Bombardier Jones told the inquest he was a close friend of Gunner Beck's, as they lived in the same accommodation block at Larkhill.

He confirmed he noticed "a change in her behaviour" after she returned from the Newbury event, and she was no longer her gregarious and outgoing self.

"After she came back there was something that didn't sit right with me. It felt like something had gone on," he said.

Gunner Beck also suffered a severe panic attack in the days following, and he said he "drew a connection between the two events".

He added it was not the first time he had felt concern for his friend.

During one evening of socialising at camp, there was a knock on the door of their accommodation block.

Intended as a joke, her friends told Gunner Beck that Mr Mason was waiting outside and wanted to see her.

Lance Bombardier Jones told the court that Gunner Beck "immediately jumped up", began trembling and turned "white as a ghost".

"It wasn't funny at all, it was quite sickening really," he said.

"There were four men in the room and she still felt she had to be scared. It was quite upsetting to see."

Friends and colleagues found Gunner Beck dead in her barracks after not having heard from her all day

An Army service inquiry report published in October 2023 found "it is almost certain" Mr Mason's behaviour was "a causal factor in her death".

It added: "Whilst this behaviour ended the week before her death, it appears that it continued to affect her and had taken a significant toll on her mental resilience and wellbeing".

The inquiry report detailed three additional "contributory factors" to her death:

• The "significant strain" of a sexual relationship with a married colleague in the last few weeks of her life.

• A relationship that ended in November 2021 which involved "repeated allegations of unfaithfulness on the part of the boyfriend".

• An "unhealthy approach to alcohol, with episodes of binge-drinking".

The hearing continues.