Man put behind bars for 22 years for killing his sister

HAMILTON, SCOTLAND, Sep 4 (SABAH): A man who sexually assaulted and killed his 16-year-old sister in a park in Hamilton has been put behind the bars for a period of minimum of 22 years.

Amber Gibson’s body was found in Cadzow Glen on 28 November 2021, two days after she was last seen. Connor Gibson, 20, strangled Amber then got rid of his clothes and called the children’s home Amber was staying at to pretend she was still alive.

Another individual who was found guilty of interfering with Amber’s body. Stephen Corrigan, who was unknown to both Amber and Connor Gibson – found her body, but rather than alert police, he inappropriately touched her and then concealed her remains. He was jailed for nine years.

Connor Gibson was put behind the bars for life, and must serve at least 22 years before he can apply for parole. Amber’s body was discovered in Cadzow Glen on Sunday 28 November, hidden in bushes and branches. Her body was covered in mud and her clothes were found nearby. Two days later Gibson posted a tribute on Facebook to his sister – then the following day, he was arrested for her murder.

A 13-day trial at the High Court in Glasgow had heard how Gibson – who denied the charges against him – had removed Amber’s clothes and assaulted her. Prosecutors said the teenager had been appallingly murdered by the brother she must have trusted.

At the time of the murder, Amber was living at the town’s Hillhouse children’s home and Gibson was staying at the Blue Triangle homeless hostel in Hamilton. Items of stained clothing were found in a bin there after the murder. Blood stains on Gibson’s jacket had been compatible with Amber and his DNA was also found on her shorts.

The siblings had been fostered from the ages of three and five by Craig Niven and his wife Carol. Niven had told the trial that the siblings could not be left in each others’ company as they were “not a good mix”. Court documents also showed that Amber and Connor Gibson’s biological father, Peter Gibson, sexually assaulted two young boys and assaulted and raped a woman.

These crimes were committed between 2001 and 2008, and he was sentenced in April this year. It also emerged that in a separate case, Amber was raped by a man called Jamie Starrs several months before her murder. He was jailed for 10-and-a-half years.