Man jailed for the murder of Bobbi-Anne McLeod

A man from Plymouth has been sentenced to life, with a minimum jail term of 30 years and 190 days, for the murder of 18-year-old Bobbi-Anne McLeod.

24-year-old Cody Ackland attacked Bobbi-Anne with a hammer at a bus stop in Leigham, Plymouth, on the night of Saturday 20 November 2021. He then abducted her and drove to Bellever Forest car park on Dartmoor, where he murdered her.

Ackland then drove to Bovisand, where he stripped and concealed Bobbi-Anne’s body in vegetation on a wooded lane. The next day he threw the hammer into the Tamar and dumped Bobbi-Anne’s blood-stained clothing, along with his own, on an allotment before going out to party with friends.

When Bobbi-Anne failed to return messages from her family, Devon and Cornwall Police launched an extensive missing person search and public appeal for help. Concern for Bobbi-Anne’s wellbeing spread across social media and members of the community joined the search for her.

Three days later Ackland walked into Charles Cross police station in Plymouth, where he admitted killing Bobbi-Anne and revealed the location of her body.

The police investigation revealed that Ackland had a secret, morbid interest in serial killers, and in particularly US killer Ted Bundy, whose kidnap and murder of young women bore similarities to Ackland’s crime. Ackland’s phone contained a huge collection of disturbing images including murder scenes, dead bodies and post-mortems.

Ian Wilkinson of the CPS said: “Bobbi-Anne was just 18 years old when her life was taken away in the most cruel and shocking manner.

“As this case reaches its end our thoughts are very much with Bobbi-Anne's family as they continue to live with what Cody Ackland did.

"The CPS were involved with the case from the start of the investigation, following the discovery of Bobbi-Anne’s body. We worked closely alongside our partners in the police to build the strongest possible case to ensure that Ackland was held responsible for what he did.

"Violence against women and girls has a devastating effect on victims and their families. The CPS is dedicated to working with our partners in the criminal justice system to bring offenders to justice and make the public safer.”