A musician has pleaded guilty to the murder of 18-year-old student Bobbi-Anne McLeod. Cody Ackland, 24, entered the plea during a plea and trial preparation hearing at Plymouth Crown Court on Tuesday.
Ackland spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth and admit murdering the teenager on a date between November 19 and 23. Prosecutor Richard Posner asked for the sentencing hearing to be adjourned due to outstanding pathology reports to be served.
Close family members of the teenager, including her mother, father and brother, sat in the court room while friends watched proceedings on a video link from an adjacent court. Ackland appeared in the dock dressed in jeans and a grey sweater.
Mr Posner said he was awaiting further evidence from a neuropathologist’s report that he hoped to be able to serve on the court before the end of the month. He said when he had received it, he would be ready to set out a full sentencing note detailing the facts of the murder.
Ray Tully QC, for Ackland, said that he would be providing the court with a psychiatric report about the defendant ahead of the sentencing hearing. Judge Robert Linford listed his case for sentence on the morning of May 19 and warned him he would received a statutory sentence of life imprisonment, adding: “The only issue will be the minimum term.”
Bobbi-Anne McLeod’s mother, father and brother were seated in the public gallery while the victim’s friends and extended family were seated in a separate court room via video link. The victim’s mother Donna McLeod was in tears throughout the brief hearing.
Before Ackland was brought into court, Judge Linford said: “When this case last came before the court I asked for an atmosphere of restrained silence during the proceedings, I got it, and I was very grateful for the way everyone conducted themselves in difficult circumstances. I want to repeat that these are very difficult, tense hearings but again I expect the case to proceed in silence with no reaction from anyone to anything that may be said or done during the hearing.”
Alison Hernandez, police and crime commissioner for Devon and Cornwall, said: “I can’t even start to imagine the pain that Bobbi-Anne McLeod’s family and friends have been through over these past few months. While there is no justice that can bring Bobbi-Anne back, I’m pleased this case will be concluded swiftly and I truly hope the family will get the answers they need to provide some closure on this terrible incident.
“I’d like to thank the police for their hard work in bringing Cody Ackland to justice. I’d also like to thank the community of Plymouth who have shown courage, empathy and incredible support during this dark time for the city.”
