Musician faces life sentence for murder of teenager

A musician must find out how long he will spend in prison after pleading guilty to the murder of 18-year-old student Bobbi-Anne McLeod.

Cody Ackland, 24, will return to Plymouth Crown Court where Judge Robert Linford will impose a life sentence and impose the minimum time he will serve before he can apply for parole.

At a hearing last month, Ackland admitted murdering the teenager between November 19 and 23 last year.

He has denied the kidnapping, but the Crown will not seek a trial on that charge.

Close family members of the teenager, including her mother, father and brother, sat in the courtroom while friends watched the proceedings via video link from an adjacent court.

No members of Ackland's family were present in court, although a relative said they were “devastated” by the killing.

The relative, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “My family is going through a lot at the moment. »

He added: “Everyone is devastated and this is absolutely a tragic time for everyone, especially Bobbi-Anne’s family.”

The sentencing hearing was adjourned until today due to outstanding pathology reports which needed to be served.

Student Miss McLeod was last seen waiting at a bus stop in Plymouth on the evening of Saturday November 20 last year as she set off to meet friends.

Her body was found three days later near Bovisand Beach, about seven miles from her home.

Police said there was “no known link” between Miss McLeod and Ackland.

At an inquest held last year, no cause of the teenager's death was given.

In the aftermath of Miss McLeod's disappearance, a friend told the PA news agency she believed the victim “had no idea” who her attacker(s) were.

Ackland was the lead guitarist for Plymouth-based indie band Rakuda, who released their debut EP in August last year.

The remaining members of Rakuda announced in November that they were disbanding “effective immediately”, but said a few weeks later that they would be taking a “short break from the music scene” with a view to reforming in spring 2022.

Ackland, of Radcliffe Close, Southway, Plymouth, was remanded in custody until today.