Amber Gibson: Brother found guilty of sexual assault and murder of 16 year-old sister
A person has been found guilty of sexually assaulting and murdering his 16-year-old sister.
Connor Gibson, 20, was convicted of attacking his sister Amber in woodland in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, on November 26 2021, eradicating her garments, sexually assaulting with the intention of raping her, inflicting blunt power trauma to her head and physique, and strangling her.
Gibson denied the fees towards him however was found guilty after a 13-day trial on the Excessive Court docket in Glasgow.
Decide Lord Mulholland instructed him: “Your sister – the final individual she noticed was you strangling her. It was wicked and you’ll pay a heavy value for that.”
He instructed Gibson he faces a compulsory life sentence with the punishment half to be determined after contemplating the plea in mitigation on his behalf and a felony justice social work report.
Amber was reported lacking on the night of Friday November 26 and her physique was found in Cadzow Glen at about 10.10am on November 28.
Gibson was arrested three days later, on December 1, and, the day earlier than his arrest, posted a chilling tribute to the sister he had murdered, writing on Fb: “Amber, you’ll fly excessive for the remaining of time. We are going to all miss you. Particularly me. I like you ginger midget. GBFN (goodbye for now) X”.
The forensic pathologist who carried out the autopsy examination on Amber’s physique instructed the court docket she was found coated in mud and the trigger of demise was “compression of the neck”.
Jurors additionally heard different forensic proof that “widespread blood staining” on Gibson’s jacket was suitable with Amber and his DNA was additionally found on her shorts, worn as underwear, which had been “forcibly torn” off.
The court docket heard that Gibson, additionally identified by the surname Niven, didn’t appear emotional as he spoke to his and Amber’s former foster father, Craig Niven, on the day Amber’s physique was found.
Giving proof, Mr Niven had mentioned he wouldn’t depart the siblings in one another’s firm as a result of they had been “not a superb combine”.
Mr Niven and his spouse had fostered the siblings since Amber was three and her brother was 5. The couple had been granted everlasting care of the pair a number of years later.
On the time of Amber’s murder, Connor was dwelling on the Blue Triangle homeless hostel in Hamilton whereas Amber was on the city’s Hillhouse youngsters’s residence.
Mr Niven instructed the court docket he had not heard from his former foster son throughout Amber’s disappearance however, in a name on the day her physique was found, Gibson instructed him the pair had “fallen out” once they noticed one another two days beforehand.
Jurors additionally heard from Peter Benson, of Police Scotland’s cyber crime group, who examined a cellphone found the place Gibson was dwelling.
Learn how to get nosy cops to cease monitoring your cellphone
Search on a cellphone found the place Connor Gibson was dwelling
It confirmed that on November 27 at about 12.34am, the cellphone’s person wrote to a Snapchat group with 5 recipients: “I’m actually going to want you guys assist with one thing when yous come again. I’m being severe.”
The court docket noticed proof that about 40 seconds later the person messaged Amber Gibson on the app: “Are you okay?”
The person then instructed the group chat at roughly 1.33am: “nvm (by no means thoughts) it’s all good.”
The search historical past obtained from the cellphone additionally confirmed the person searched “Learn how to get nosy cops to cease monitoring your cellphone” at 11.38pm.
Iain Currie, supervisor of Hillhouse youngsters’s residence, instructed the court docket he spoke to Gibson at about 9pm on November 26 after he known as to talk together with his sister, however famous him showing “sharp” on the cellphone after making no greeting.
Additionally on trial was Stephen Corrigan, 45, who was found guilty of making an attempt to defeat the ends of justice and breach of the peace by intimately touching and concealing Amber’s physique after discovering her sooner or later within the following two days, as an alternative of contacting the emergency companies.
Corrigan, mentioned in court docket to not be identified to Gibson, additionally denied the cost and had lodged a particular defence of alibi.
His father, William Corrigan, 79, instructed the court docket his son was at his residence in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, that weekend after a fall on ice left his arm in a sling, and denied mendacity to guard him.
The court docket heard that Corrigan instructed police he was at a “full loss” to elucidate why his DNA was found on 39 areas of Amber’s physique, together with her breasts, buttocks and thighs.
Decide Mulholland instructed Corrigan he had been convicted of “horrific crimes”.
He mentioned: “Coming throughout a younger lady who had been strangled to demise, she was bare… as an alternative of alerting the authorities you resolve … to deal with her physique throughout from head to toe together with areas that had been intimate – personal elements – and your DNA instructed the story.”
He instructed Corrigan he faces a “prolonged sentence”.
The choose deferred sentence till September 4 at Livingston Excessive Court docket for pleas in mitigation and background reviews.
