Judge’s tribute to family of victim

JUDGE Robert Linford, sitting at Plymouth Crown Court, told killer Cody Ackland: “On November 20 last year you subjected BobbiAnne McLeod to a prolonged, savage and merciless attack.”

He continued: “She was a young, popular and much-loved person, you caused outrage and fear in this part of the country and with good reason, it was utterly motiveless.”

Judge Lindford told Ackland that he would remain indefinitely a “highly dangerous person”, adding: “There is a strong possibility you may never be released from prison.”

Ackland looked at the judge throughout his remarks and nodded as his sentence was passed.

Reflecting on the minimum term he should pass on Ackland, the judge said: “There are other seriously aggravating features of this case.

“Firstly, the degree of mental and physical suffering inflicted on Bobbi, and there were effectively four attempts by you to kill her.

“The first was at the bus stop and you beat her over the head with a hammer. The second was when you tried to strangle her in the car.

“The third was when you struck her repeatedly with a hammer on the moor in truly terrible circumstances, with her knowing what you were intent upon doing to her.

“The fourth was when you stood on her throat.

“This was a prolonged and awful ordeal for this poor person.”

Following an outburst by Bobbi-Anne McLeod’s brother Lee – who told Ackland he was a “dead man” – the judge, who called for calm, paid tribute to the family.

After jailing Ackland for life, with a minimum term of 31 years, the judge said: “I want to pay tribute, however, to the quiet dignity that Bobbi-Anne’s family have shown throughout the remainder of these proceedings.

“I don’t know how they’ve managed to do it.

“I’ve asked them three times to be able to contain their emotions and they’ve done it.

“I don’t know how.

“It’s a tribute to them that they’ve been able to sit there as they have.”