Wiltshire, UK – A young soldier who tragically took her own life had complained about her boss’ text messages shortly before her death, an inquest has revealed.
Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck, 19, was found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire on 15 December 2021, following a period of intense and unwelcome behaviour from Bombardier Ryan Mason, her boss.
According to BBC, Gunner Beck’s mother, Leighann McCready, told the first day of the inquest that her daughter “did not feel safe” at work.
Text messages she received
The nine-day hearing at Salisbury Coroner’s Court showcased a series of messages exchanged between Gunner Beck and Mr Mason between October and December 2021.
In one message to Gunner Beck, on 21 October, Mr 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 said her daughter had become “freaked out” by this persistent behaviour.
“Ryan Mason was overstepping the mark of her friendliness and her nature,” she said.
“This was Jayse’s impression and she made us aware that he was becoming a creep.”
On 25 November, Gunner Beck wrote to Mr Mason: “This whole falling in love with me, it’s becoming a bit too much.
“It’s weighing me down a little bit. Totally honest here, I just don’t want to hear how you feel about me.”
In another message, Gunner Beck revealed that she feared Mr Mason was watching her.
She wrote: “When you said you seen me leave camp I was a bit taken back, like are you watching me? It’s just weird and the whole thing is just bizarre.”
Ms McCready said that her daughter felt that Mr Mason was “obsessive”, and began to fear for her safety as his behaviour intensified.
She 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’.”
Ms McCready told the hearing: “She thought he had tracked her phone and was listening to her conversation. Ryan was freaking her out.”
In a drafted text to Mr Mason, that she did not end up sending, Gunner Beck told him she felt “trapped” by the whole situation.
It said: “I have tried to act as normal as possible because we are working together, but nothing [is] 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.”
Bombardier John Wheeler told the inquest he had a close relationship with Gunner Beck and said she was a “bubbly person” but she had become “more and more down” in the weeks before her death.
He said that she had sent him excerpts from a “love story” that Mr Mason had written where the characters were aliases for Mr Mason and Gunner Beck.
He said that he believed the book would amount to sexual harassment.
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