Jaysley Beck: Army officer Samantha Shepherd found not guilty of failing to deal with abuse claims

Crown concludes there is ‘insufficient evidence’ to convict Colonel Samantha Shepherd

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Army colonel Samantha Shepherd has been found not guilty of failing to properly deal with abuse allegations made by Gunner Jaysley Beck before her death.

Gunner Beck, 19, took her own life in December 2021 after being sexually assaulted by a superior, former senior non-commissioned officer Michael Webber.

Webber, 43, was jailed for six months by a military court in 2025 after pleading guilty to the assault .

An earlier inquest into Gunner Beck’s death found that the incident and the army’s failure to take appropriate action “more than minimally” contributed to her death.