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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Chris Matthews & Adam Aspinall & Ryan Merrifield

Indie musician Cody Ackland who murdered teen after snatching her from bus stop jailed

A twisted killer who snatched a teenage girl from a bus stop before brutally murdering her has been jailed for life.

Cody Ackland will serve at least 30 years behind bars before he is considered for release.

Ted Bundy-obsessed musician Ackland spotted student Bobbi-Anne McLeod, 18, close to her home in Leigham, Plymouth, as she waited to catch a bus.

The 24-year-old crept up on his victim and attacked her with a claw hammer multiple times before abducting her in his car.

Minutes before he initially appeared Bobbi-Anne had posted a photo of her feet to Snapchat saying how cold she was.

In the hours after the murder, Ackland went to band practice, for pizza and for an all-night lock-in party with friends who said they'd never seen him so happy.

Judge Robert Linford said at the sentencing hearing at Plymouth Crown Court today: "She had the whole of her life in front of her until it was brutally and savagely snuffed out by you."

Bobbi-Anne McLeod was snatched from the street and murdered (PA)
Cody Ackland was today jailed for life (PA)

Referring to the secluded area Ackland later dumped the teen's body, he added: "I am sure your choice of location was no accident, it was planned."

The judge described the killing as "chilling" and "determined savagery".

"This was a prolonged, savage and merciless attack. It caused outrage and fear in this part of country and rightly so. Utterly motiveless," he said.

He told Ackland he may never be released and there were shouts from the public gallery as Ackland was taken away, which the judge said he understood.

Bobbi-Anne's brother Lee shouted: "You're a dead man, a dirty c***!"

Ackland, who had never been in trouble with the police in his life, was fixated with the notorious American serial killer Bundy and may have wanted to emulate him, police say.

Ackland handing himself in at a police station days after the murder (Police handout)

Investigators fear Ackland was acting out these evil fantasies on the night he kidnapped tragic Bobbi-Anne on Saturday, November 20 last year.

The teenager was less than 5ft tall and looked much younger than her age.

Her naked body was discovered roughly eight miles away in a woodland near a beach in Bovisand, Devon, three days later.

She had been dumped in the undergrowth, 15 feet down an embankment.

Bobbi-Anne had sustained numerous injuries consistent with a prolonged and frenzied attack, prosecutors have said.

Musician Ackland, who played guitar in local indy band Rakuda, pleaded guilty to murder last month.

He was sentenced today after pleading guilty in April (SWNS)
Ackland was obsessed with Ted Bundy (SWNS)

Mike West, Detective Superintendent and Head of Devon and Cornwall's Major Crime Investigation Team, told The Mirror: “There are clear parallels with Bundy because of the sort of individual that Ackland is.

He explained: “He had an unhealthy fascination with Bundy.

“Thousands of images of post mortems, murder scenes, dismemberment, soiled clothing, people in distress and other serial killers were found on his phone.

“It does go down to the manner of the killing, the way that Bobbi was approached, the fact she was by herself, the fact she was abducted and taken away from the scene of the initial assault and the general character of Ackland and I think that is why the parallels have been made," he was told.

Bobbi-Anne had just told her dad she loved him at the family home and was on her way to meet boyfriend Louie when the killer spotted her a little before 7pm.

Ackland pulled up into a secluded car park in his bright red Ford before carrying out the attack in Bampton Road.

He told detectives he then noticed his victim was still moving so he scooped her up and put her in the car's footwell.

He took her to Bellever Forest car park in Dartmoor where he repeatedly attacked and and finally killed her.

A huge search was launched after Bobbi-Anne's disappearance, with hundreds of volunteers scouring the area looking for her.

The alarm was raised after she failed to meet Louie, and her family believe she never got on the bus as her ticket was not used.

Bobbi-Anne's headphones and a bag of tobacco were found at the bus stop, and her mobile phone was later handed in to police.

The teenager's death sent shockwaves through the local community.

The bus stop where Ackland approached Bobbi-Anne (PA)

Ackland began to cry in the dock and some of Bobbi-Anne's family left the courtroom as details of the case were laid bare this afternoon.

The defendant spent much of the hearing with his hand up his face, as if hiding it from the public gallery.

Prosecutor Richard Posner told the court Ackland had handed himself into police three days after the murder.

He went for an early lunch from the valeting company where he worked before entering the police station wearing a face mask and a hi-vis jacket.

He text fellow band members and family saying he loved them.

Ackland asked the officer at the front desk if they could go somewhere quiet.

When asked why he said "it's about the Leigham..." He seemed pale, nervous and was swallowing hard.

Asked why he came to the police station. He told them "I did it". His eyes began to well up.

Ackland's red Ford he used to abduct Bobbi-Anne (PA)

When his car was searched a bag was found with a hammer and knife.

Black latex gloves were also found in a glovebox.

Ackland's car contained blood splatters and stains.

His solicitor read a prepared statement during a police interview in which he admitted being solely responsible.

The statement read: "I took her from the bus stop and left her body at location. I decided to tell police to help them and her family. Nobody else was involved. There was nothing sexual about this incident.

"I did not touch Bobbi-Anne in a sexual way."

Mr Posner confirmed there was no evidence whatsoever of any sexual assault.

Bobbi-Anne's trainer was found with a bag of clothing (PA)

In a further interview, the defendant spoke of a difficult childhood and poor mental health, Mr Posner continued.

He said if he had help he should have had years ago it wouldn't have happened, blaming his anger on his life and his parents.

Ackland said on the night in question his intention was to go to events space Leadworks, where he had been involved in a decorating job.

He said he was wound up and annoyed after a recent break-up.

He claimed Bobbi-Anne resembled a few people he went out with in the past and the act wasn't planned.

Ackland was a popular musician in the local music scene (pixel8000)
He played for an indy rock band (TIM STEWART NEWS LIMITED)

Ackland had told police he approached Bobbi-Anne from behind at the bus stop and hit her with the clawhammer.

He said "that was meant to be it" but she looked at him so he did it again, adding: "I thought problem...get rid of the problem."

Ackland said he got in the car and was about to drive away but saw her sit up with blood on her head.

He said he then drove up next to Bobbi-Anne and put her in the car and covered her in a jacket to avoid being seen.

He strangled his victim and took her somewhere to dispose of her, thinking she was dead.

But at Bellever Forest he heard she was alive and so he walked her outside, propping her up "like a drunken walk" and she told him she was scared.

Ackland replied: "So am I, I've never done this."

Ackland, disguised with a sheet, during a previous court appearance (Matt Gilley/PlymouthLive)

He told police he "knew what he had to do" so hit Bobbi-Anne with the hammer 12 times.

He said he saw signs of life again and thought "hats off to her" before burning her property.

He then put his foot on Bobbi-Anne's throat until feeling that she had died.

The court heard how she fought bravely for over four hours after the initial brain injury before passing away.

Ackland removed her clothes and jewellery as well as his top as they were covered in blood and hid them near where he lived at an allotment in a bag.

He threw the hammer into the Tamar. It has never been recovered despite extensive searches.

The following day, Ackland went out for food with his friends, went to band practice and had a lock in at Leadworks until the early hours of Monday.

Police at the bus stop on Bampton Road, Plymouth, on November 23 (Plymouth Live/BPM Media)

A friend who he'd given a lift to on the Sunday said he seemed "happier than usual" and was laughing and joking more that day.

Ackland told a psychiatrist feelings of depression he had before killing Bobbi-Anne were gone.

On the Monday Ackland called in sick for work, with his own family sharing missing posts about Bobbi-Anne which were "close to home".

He went to the cinema on The Barbican to watch film Dune and was sharing and storing images of his victim.

The next day he went to work and in the middle of the day had a last beer in the car before handing himself in to the police as he thought it may have been his last for some time.

The court heard in the months prior to the murder Ackland had made online searches relating to Bundy, as well the Golden State Killer and Fred West, among other serial killers.

Police cordon off the road leading to the Bovisand cafe and car park where the body was found (PA)

On the day he handed himself in he also searched for the detective leading the Bobbi-Anne appeal.

In a statement by Bobbi-Anne's mum, read out in court, she said her memories of her daughter have been skewed by details of the case.

"We can only remember the awful things you've done to her. Bobbi-Anne was so loved. To know her final hours were spent being tortured kills us inside," she said.

"Not being there for her and able to comfort her makes us feel like we have failed her.

"Every new day is a reminder of what you took away.

"We wish we don't feel anymore and wake up from a nightmare to a room full of people and Bobbi-Anne telling her stories."

She added that Bobbi-Anne's room is "still how it was" but it is "hard to open the door".

"Nothing the justice system can impose on you is enough."

Flowers left near the scene as mourners console each other (SWNS)

Ray Tully QC, on behalf of Ackland, said Bobbi-Anne's loved ones will rightfully hold utter hatred for the man he represented.

He said that Ackland has at least provided the authorities with an account of what happened, albeit a "grotesque" one.

The barrister said on the night of the murder, Bobbi-Anne spent time looking for her shoes, and noted that "if she had found those shoes" then it was inevitable she "would have caught an earlier bus".

He noted that "on such sliding doors... many lives change. Her life extinguished. Her family's lives thrown into utter chaos."

Mr Tully added that his client had not intended to commit a murder that night, despite his internet searches for secluded locations and possible weapons, but on coming across Bobbi-Anne the opportunity suddenly presented itself.

The hammer was in the car to remove dents, he claimed.

The court heard Ackland was "picked on, he was bullied" at school, and by the age of nine he felt his life was "worthless" and was having suicidal thoughts.

"He felt isolated, he was bullied, he was a loner," said the barrister.

"There are reports of him being diagnosed with ADHD, dyslexia, and anxiety, and placed on medication, and a depressive history dating back to the age of 12."

Mr Tully said if Ackland hadn't handed himself in there is a chance he would have got away with the murder as he had no criminal record.

During his summary, Judge Linford added that he disagreed it wasn't in some way planned and was certainly preventable at numerous points, as Ackland made four attempts to kill Bobbi-Anne.

He said: "You put her into the car unconscious and bleeding heavily. You could have stopped and took her to hospital. You would have been in trouble but not this trouble and Bobbi-Anne could have lived."

He said if it hadn't been Bobbi-Anne it was "only going to be a matter of time" before it was another victim.

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