Murder victim Bobbi-Anne McLeod gave evidence in court as a witness and assault victim the day before she was tragically killed.
Ms McLeod, 18, spent her final 24 hours taking to the witness stand on Friday, November 19 last year.
She went missing a day after she gave evidence and was seen leaving her house at 6pm.
Three days later her body would be found in the woods. There is no known link between her untimely death and the case she was a witness and victim in.
Exactly a week after she gave evidence and stood in court as a witness and a victim, her murderer stood in the same room, accused of killing her.
Cody Ackland pleaded guilty to the killing the teen today.
Ackland’s hearing was short and marked by an outburst from the public gallery as he was led back to his cells.
Afterwards, those who had been at the previous trial, where Ms McLeod gave evidence, noted her passing and one person remembered how she was a “sweet girl”.
When Ms McLeod stood as a witness, it was during an assault trial, with the accused another 18-year-old girl from Plymouth.
The incident had happened in December 2020, but took nearly a year to reach the courts.
An 18-year-old had been arrested initially suspected of actual bodily harm and common assault.
Police logs stated that the suspect had allegedly assaulted a family member but that at some stage Ms McLeod - who was a friend of the suspect - intervened to try and halt the assault.
However, the log said the suspect bit Ms McLeod’s ankle and wrist and was later arrested and charged with two counts of common assault.
Ms McLeod took to the witness box to give her account of events, along with a second witness, and the defendant was found guilty of both charges.
The case was then adjourned for a sentencing hearing and Ms McLeod, having played her role in the case, left Plymouth Magistrates’ Court.
The defendant was considered by the court to be vulnerable, so PlymouthLive did not identify her.
She was fined £180 and ordered to pay costs of £100 and the victim surcharge of £95.
On top of that she was given a community order and had to complete a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement of up to 30 days.
Ackland will be sentenced on May 19 for Ms McLeod's murder, when a judge will hand him a life sentence and confirm the minimum term he will serve.
