A person has been discovered responsible 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, in November 2021.
He eliminated her clothes, sexually assaulted her with the intention of raping her, inflicted blunt-force trauma to her head and physique, and strangled her.
Gibson denied the costs in opposition to him however was discovered responsible after a 13-day trial on the High Court in Glasgow.
Following the verdicts, Judge Lord Mulholland informed Gibson: “Your sister – the last person she saw was you strangling her. It was depraved and you will pay a heavy price for that.”
Amber was reported lacking on the night of Friday 26 November and her physique was found in Cadzow Glen on the morning of 28 November.
Gibson was arrested three days later.
The day earlier than he was detained, he posted a chilling tribute to the sister he murdered, writing on Facebook: “Amber, you will fly high for the rest of time. We will all miss you. Especially me. I love you ginger midget. GBFN (goodbye for now) X”.
A autopsy examination of Amber’s physique discovered she was lined in mud and the reason for dying 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 discovered on her shorts, worn as underwear, which had been “forcibly torn” off.
The court docket heard 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 her physique was discovered.
Giving proof, Mr Niven had mentioned he wouldn’t go away the siblings in one another’s firm as a result of they had been “not a good mix”.
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 siblings a couple of years later.
At the time of Amber’s homicide, Connor was dwelling on the Blue Triangle homeless hostel in Hamilton whereas Amber was on the city’s Hillhouse youngsters’s dwelling.
Mr Niven informed 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 informed 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 telephone discovered the place Gibson was dwelling.
It confirmed that on 27 November at about 12.34am, the telephone’s consumer wrote to a Snapchat group with 5 recipients: “I’m really going to need you guys help with something when yous come back. I’m being serious.”
Around 40 seconds later the consumer messaged Amber on the app: “Are you ok?”
The consumer then informed the group chat at roughly 1.33am: “nvm (never mind) it’s all good.”
The search historical past obtained from the telephone additionally confirmed the consumer searched “how to get nosy police officers to stop monitoring your phone” at 11.38pm.
Read extra from the trial:
Amber Gibson ‘had accidents in step with being strangled’
Blood on brother Connor Gibson’s garments ‘might point out assault’
Iain Currie, supervisor of Hillhouse youngsters’s dwelling, informed the court docket he spoke to Gibson at about 9pm on 26 November after he known as to talk together with his sister, however famous him showing “sharp” on the telephone after making no greeting.
Also on trial was Stephen Corrigan, 45, who was discovered responsible of making an attempt to defeat the ends of justice 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, informed the court docket his son was at his dwelling 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 Corrigan informed police he was at a “complete loss” to elucidate why his DNA was discovered on 39 areas of Amber’s physique, together with her breasts, buttocks and thighs.
Judge Mulholland informed Corrigan he faces a “lengthy sentence”.
The choose deferred sentence till 4 September at Livingston High Court for pleas in mitigation and background stories.
Following the decision, foster dad and mom Craig and Carol Niven mentioned in an announcement: “When they arrived at our home, Amber was three and Connor aged five.
“Connor acknowledged ‘we’re secure’. They had been till he took the security away. Amber deserved to reside a lifetime of hope and alternatives. As a household, we are going to by no means be capable of recover from how this was taken from her.
“We are relieved the people involved in what happened to her are now behind bars. However, no amount of time will be justice enough for such a young innocent life.”
They described Amber because the “most giving, caring, loving, supportive and admirable person” who had a love of artwork and singing.
The couple added: “She had the most amazing outlook on life considering the suffering she had experienced.”
They additionally commented how that they had listened to proof “how much Amber and Connor have been let down throughout their lives by the system”.
The assertion added: “As a family, we all feel this could have been prevented. We now have one daughter buried in Larkhall Cemetery and another child in prison. We really miss Amber – life will never be the same.”
Source: information.sky.com”