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Man who found Amber Gibson's naked body in woodland violated her instead of telling police: Pervert, 45, is told he faces 'lengthy' jail term for his 'horrific crimes' against the tragic 16-year-old
By Natasha Anderson and Rory Tingle Home Affairs Correspondent For Mailonline20:28 BST 25 Jul 2023 , updated 22:18 BST 25 Jul 2023- ** WARNING: GRAPHIC DETAILS **
- Connor Gibson was convicted of attacking his sister Amber in Hamilton
- Stephen Corrigan, 45, found her remains in Cadzow Glen park and violated her
Amber, 16, was sexually assaulted and murdered by her brother Connor Gibson in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire on November 26, 2021.
Connor, then 19, removed her clothing and repeatedly inflicted blunt force trauma to Amber's head and body. He compressed her neck with his hands and strangled her with intent to rape her, eventually killing her.
Stephen Corrigan, 45, discovered her remains in Cadzow Glen park at some point in the following two days. But instead of contacting emergency services he intimately touched and concealed Amber's body.
Corrigan, said in court not to be known to Connor, was found guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice and breach of the peace. He also denied the charge and had lodged a special defence of alibi.
Stephen Corrigan, 45, (pictured) came across the lifeless teenager during a walk. But instead of alerting police the pervert touched her inappropriately and then hid her body from view
Connor, then 19, (pictured) removed her clothing and repeatedly inflicted blunt force trauma to Amber's head and body. He compressed her neck with his hands and strangled her with intent to rape her, eventually killing her
The court heard that Corrigan told police he was at a 'complete loss' to explain why his DNA was found on 39 areas of Amber's body, including her breasts, buttocks and thighs.
His father, William Corrigan, 79, told the court his son was at his home in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, that weekend after a fall on ice left his arm in a sling, and denied lying to protect him.
Today, Lord Mulholland remanded both Connor and Corrigan in custody after the jury returned its verdicts.
Turning to Connor first, he said: 'Your sister - the last person she saw was you strangling her. It was depraved. You will pay a heavy price for that.'
The judge then told Corrigan: 'You have been convicted of two horrific crimes. You came across a young girl who had been strangled to death and was naked.
'Instead of alerting the authorities you decide to handle her body all over from head to toe including areas that were intimate - private parts - and your DNA told the story. Be under no illusion what is also coming your way.'
The judge said Corrigan faces a 'lengthy sentence'. He deferred sentence until September 4 at the High Court in Livingston for pleas in mitigation and background reports.
Lord Mulholland told Connor that he faces a mandatory life sentence with the punishment part to be decided after considering the plea in mitigation on his behalf and a criminal justice social work report.
Neither showed any emotion as they were taken handcuffed to the cells.
Connor Gibson is seen walking with his sister Amber to a patch of woodland where he murdered her
Connor and Amber with their foster parents, Carol and Craig Niven
Connor, then 19, attacked his younger sister Amber in a park in Hamilton on the outskirts of Glasgow. He removed her clothes before sexually assaulting her and hitting her on the head, then fatally strangled her.
Jurors heard the siblings had been in foster care together, but had latterly been living apart.
Amber had been 'excited' to catch-up with her older brother on the night of November 26, 2021, and sent a selfie to a friend captioned 'my big bro' hours before he fatally attacked her following a row.
CCTV from before the killing shows the chilling moment Connor led his 16-year-old sister to a woodland before trying to rape her and then strangling her to death.
The footage shows Connor walking side by side with Amber down a pavement. CCTV captured later on catches Connor walking home alone before stooping over for several seconds by a fence - apparently exhausted.
He is later filmed tiptoeing out of his sheltered accommodation before disposing of items he wore during the attack, including a bloodstained coat that later helped convict him.
Today, the siblings' foster parents Carol and Craig Niven - who were in court to hear the verdicts - recalled how Connor had said 'we are safe' when they first took him and Amber into their care, before adding: 'They were until he took that safety away.'
In an emotional statement, they said: 'When they arrived at our home, Amber was three and Connor aged five.
'Connor stated: ''We are safe'' - they were until he took the safety away. Amber deserved to live a life of hope and opportunities. As a family, we will never be able to get over 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.'
Amber was reported missing on the evening of Friday, November 26 and her body discovered in Cadzow Glen at 10.10am on November 28.
Before then, Corrigan had come across the lifeless teenager during a walk. But instead of alerting police the pervert touched her inappropriately and then hid her body from view.
In a statement, the former foster family of Connor Gibson and his sister Amber said: 'Amber was a much-loved daughter, sister, auntie and friend.
'She was the most giving, loving, supportive and admirable person.
'She kept us on our toes and had the most amazing outlook on life considering the suffering she had experienced.'
They continued: 'When they arrived at our home - Amber aged three and Connor aged five - Connor stated: 'We are safe now.'
'They were until he took her safety away.'
The family said both siblings had been 'let down by the system', adding: '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.'
Connor was arrested on December 1 and - the day before his arrest - posted a fake Facebook tribute to his sister, writing: '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'.
He denied sexually assaulting and murdering Amber but was convicted following a 13-day trial based on a combination of CCTV footage and DNA evidence, including his bloodstained jacket.
Connor now faces a life sentence after being convicted of murder and attempted rape. Corrigan was convicted of a breach of the peace and attempting to defeat the ends of justice. They will be jailed in Livingston on September 4.
Amber was last heard from at 9:51pm on the night of her murder. She sent an apparently cheeky selfie with Gibson to a friend over Snapchat with the caption 'my big bro'.
The friend, Angel McKean, described Amber as her 'wee sister' and recalled seeing her just hours before she was murdered.
'She said that she was going to meet her brother and seemed quite excited about it,' the 19-year-old remembered.
At the time of Amber's murder, Connor was living at the Blue Triangle homeless hostel in Hamilton, while she was at the Hillhouse children's home.
Iain Currie, manager of Hillhouse children's home, told the court he spoke to Connor 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.
Earlier this month, Jamie Starrs, 20, was convicted of raping Amber five months before her death at his home in Bothwell, Lanarkshire. He is yet to be sentenced.
Meanwhile, Connor's biological father, Peter Gibson, was jailed for 10 years for physical and sexual abuse as his son awaited trial for murder.
The 62 year-old raped a woman in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, which included him tying her up and blindfolding her. Reporting of his case was delayed until the end of the murder trial.
On the night of Amber's murder, Connor returned to his hostel at around midnight and slumped into an office where project worker Suzanne Duddy was sitting.
Miss Duddy, 55, said it appeared like he had 'fallen into a ditch'.
She added: 'He looked very dishevelled, out of breath. His hands were very, very dirty up to his wrist. I asked was he okay, but he did not answer.'
Connor went on to ask to make a phone call.
Miss Duddy said: 'He explained to me that he had family issues and had an argument with his sister. That was why he wanted to use the phone to see if she returned home safely..'
The court heard Connor did not seem emotional as he spoke to his and Amber's former foster father, Craig Niven, on the day Amber's body was found two days after the killing.
Giving evidence, Mr Niven had said he would not leave the siblings in each other's company because they were 'not a good mix'.
Mr Niven and his wife had fostered the siblings since Amber was three and her brother was five. The couple were granted permanent care of the siblings a few years later.
He told the court he had not heard from his former foster son during Amber's disappearance but, in a call on the day her body was discovered, Connor told him the pair had 'fallen out' when they saw each other two days previously.
The forensic pathologist who carried out the post-mortem examination on Amber's body told the court she was found covered in m&d and the cause of death was 'compression of the neck'.
Jurors also heard other forensic evidence that 'widespread blood staining' on Connor's jacket was compatible with Amber and his DNA was also found on her shorts, worn as underwear, which had been 'forcibly torn' off.
Earlier this month, Jamie Starrs, 20, was convicted of raping Amber five months before her death at his home in Bothwell, Lanarkshire. He is yet to be sentenced
(TBC)
