25 July 2023 , 14:04
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A man faces life in jail after being found guilty of sexually assaulting and murdering his teenage sister before posting a chilling tribute on Facebook.
Connor Gibson was convicted this afternoon of the fatal attack on 16-year-old sibling Amber at a park in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire. A judge warned the 20-year-old he would pay a "heavy price" for his actions, which were branded by both he and a senior detective as "depraved".
A separate man, Stephen Corrigan, has also been found guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by intimately touching and concealing Amber's body after discovering her in the park.
Gibson had brought his sister to Cadzow Glen on the night of November 26, 2021, and assaulted her with the intent of raping her, before strangling and beating her. The teen was reported missing the same evening, however her body was not discovered until two days later on Sunday, November 28.
Connor Gibson faces life in prisonThe day before Gibson was arrested on December 1, he had disturbingly posted a tribute on Facebook to his sister, writing "fly high" and "I love you ginger midget".
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The chilling tribute posted on November 30 read: "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".
Meanwhile, Gibson's dad, Peter Gibson, was jailed for raping a woman back in April, before his son was found guilty.
Reporting of the father's case was delayed until the end of his son’s murder trial.
CCTV captured the chilling final moments the siblings spent together, and then Gibson disposing of items after he returned home from killing his sister.
In the footage, he can be seen taking a bin full of objects out of the Blue Triangle homeless hostel where he was living in Hamilton just before 1am on November 27 2021 - the day after he killed her.
Gibson can be seen leaving through the front door, before walking through a car park with the items. He then gets rid of them out of shot, before walking back to the accommodation with an empty bin.
Other footage caught him on the night of the murder, walking home just before midnight, after he had killed Amber.
A security camera caught the killer walking home down the town's Barrack Street.
After crossing the road, Gibson stops and leans against a fence using his outstretched arms, with his head hanging between them. He waits in this position before collecting himself and carrying on down the pavement.
A search had been made on Connor Gibson's phone for, "how to get nosy police officers to stop monitoring your phone" on the night of Amber's death.
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Amber's body was found two days later, in which time a second man had discovered her and interfered with her
Tributes left at Cadzow Glen for the schoolgirl (Garry F McHarg Daily Record)Bloodstains compatible with Amber's murder was later found on Gibson's jacket, while his DNA was also found on her clothing at the scene.
Glasgow High Court heard how Gibson had appeared emotionless on the day Amber's body was found as he spoke with his and his sister's former foster father, Craig Niven.
Giving evidence during the trial, Mr Niven had said he would not leave the siblings in each other's company because they were "not a good mix".
Amber's body was found two days after she was reported missingGibson had been living at a homeless hostel in the town at the time of Amber's murder, while she was at a children's home nearby.
The two had been seen on CCTV heading towards the park shortly before she was killed, with footage showing Gibson leaving alone a short while later.
A phone seized from Gibson's residence following his arrest meanwhile revealed messages sent from his Snapchat account to friends in the early hours of November 27, writing: "I'm really going to need you guys help with something when yous come back. I'm being serious."
CCTV captured the siblings walking together, before Connor walked back alone (PA)A message was then sent to Amber, asking "are you ok?", before another was sent to the same previous friends saying, "nvm (never mind) it's all good".
Iain Currie, manager of Hillhouse children's home, told the court he spoke to Gibson at about 9pm on November 26 after he called to speak with his sister, but noted him appearing "sharp" on the phone after making no greeting.
Stephen Corrigan, 45, was convicted of the lesser charge after standing trial alongside Gibson. He is understood to have been unknown to Amber's murderer.
Connor walked back through Hamilton alone after assaulting and murdering his sister (PA)Corrigan denied interfering with Amber's body and failing to call emergency services, claiming he had been with his father recovering from an arm injury after falling on ice at the time.
Corrigan's DNA was found in 39 parts on her body, a fact he failed to come up with an answer for when probed by detectives.
Following the verdict, a detective on the case said both men's names should be forgotten, with focuses instead kept on Amber.
CCTV of Connor walking alone on a bridge in Hamilton on the night Amber died (PA)"I'd like to actually give them as little thought as possible, to be honest with you," Detective Chief Inspector Paul Livingstone said.
"There's not any other words that spring to mind that I would describe them (as) other than depraved. I actually think that time should be spent more remembering Amber."
The senior officer said he hoped the convictions "bring some degree of comfort" to the people who knew and cared for Amber. He added: "The actions of both Corrigan and Gibson leave them both beneath contempt.
Connor was described as 'depraved' for his actions (PA)
He posted a sinister tribute to his sister, saying 'I love you'"This was a challenging and complex investigation involving a range of specialist officers from within Police Scotland working closely with our partners in forensic services, all of whom I would pay tribute to for their professionalism and dedication whilst carrying out their work."