By Emily Caulkett-
An evil brother who killed his sister after ambushing her and attempting to rape her, has been found guilty by a jury.
Extremely cruel Connor Gibson, 20, was convicted of attacking his sister Amber in woodland in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, on November 26 2021, removing her clothes, sexually assaulting with the intention of raping her, inflicting blunt force trauma to her head and body, and strangling her.
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Gibson denied the charges against him but was found guilty after a 13-day trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
Gibson, attacked his younger sibling Amber in a park in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, removed her clothes before attempting to rape her, repeatedly hit her on the head, and fatally strangled her.
He foolishly though he could escape getting caught for the murder of his own sister. Jurors endured the disturbing details about how a desperately callous young man could become his sister’s worst nightmare, ending her life in such a horrifying manner.
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Amber was reported missing on the evening of Friday, November 26 and her body discovered in Cadzow Glen at 10.10am on November 28.
The court 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, before he savagely attacked her after a row.
CCTV prior to the attack shows Connor and Amber walking side by side down a pavement. Connor is later seen in the footage walking home alone before stooping over for several seconds by a fence – apparently exhausted.
He is later seen tiptoeing out of his sheltered accommodation before disposing of items he wore during the attack, including a bloodstained coat that later helped convict him.
Amber’s body was discovered in the park two days after the alleged crime, in which time it’s claimed Stephen Corrigan “inappropriately touched” her and further hid her under bushes and branches.
Tragic: Amber Goddard was murdered by her beastly brother Connor Image: Police Scotland
Richard Goddard KC, prosecuting, told Glasgow High Court it was a “tragedy” that the last face Amber saw was Gibson’s.
”Taking all separate sources in combination, it paints a clear picture that Gibson sexually assaulted and murdered his sister,” Mr Goddard told the jury, adding the “muddy, dishevelled” brother went on “to tell a pack of lies about where he had been and what he did that evening.”
Gibson was accused alongside 45-year-old Corrigan, who is charged with a breach of the peace and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
“She lay there until the Sunday morning, enough time for Corrigan to commit sordid acts,” Mr Goddard told the court. “He handled her body and handled intimate areas of her.”
Mr Goddard went into 21 different circumstances which linked Gibson to the murder and sexual assault of Amber, stating that Gibson “definitely disposed evidence in the aftermath and told lie after lie after lie about where he was and when he last saw his sister”.
Jurors were reminded that Gibson was not spotted on the same CCTV again until over 90 minutes later.
Judge Lord Mulholland told him: “Your sister – the last person she saw was you strangling her. It was depraved and you will pay a heavy price for that.”
He told Gibson 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 reporAmber was reported missing on the evening of Friday November 26 and her body was discovered in Cadzow Glen at about 10.10am on November 28.
Gibson was arrested three days later, on December 1, and, the day before his arrest, posted a chilling tribute to the sister he had 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”.
The forensic pathologist who carried out the post-mortem examination on Amber’s body told the court she was found covered in mud and the cause of death was “compression of the neck”.
Jurors also heard other forensic evidence that “widespread blood staining” on Gibson’s jacket was compatible with Amber and his DNA was also found on her shorts, worn as underwear, which had been “forcibly torn” off.
Mr Goddard said: “What was he doing in a dark secluded place for all that time? The very same place where Amber was later to be found. Taking it all together, it looks very suspicious.”
Mr Goddard claimed that there was evidence of a struggle between the pair and both ended up muddy.
“The only thing he knew was to try and obstruct her as he knew what he had done.”
He added: “Gibson violently assaulted her, broke her nose, ripped off her bra and top and pulled off her joggers and underwear.”
Evidence of a medical bandage with the Gibson’s DNA on it was found near Amber’s body.
Mr Goddard claimed that there was evidence of a struggle between the pair and both ended up muddy.
Connor had been living at the Blue Triangle homeless hostel in Hamilton. A police officer told the court that items of stained clothing had been found in a bin there.
Jurors also heard other forensic evidence that “widespread blood staining” on Gibson’s jacket was compatible with Amber and his DNA was also found on her shorts, worn as underwear, which had been “forcibly” torn off.
It emerged during Amber’s murder trial that she had suffered another assault earlier in 2021.
In an entirely separate case it was revealed that in the June before her murder, Amber was raped by a man called Jamie Starrs.
Police Scotland called the inquiry “traumatic and harrowing” for the officers involved, as well as for Amber’s friends and family.
Det Ch Supt Paul Livingstone said: “It is hard to imagine how difficult this has been for Amber’s family and friends and our thoughts very much remain with them.
“I hope this conviction brings them some degree of comfort. The actions of both Gibson and Corrigan leaves them beneath contempt.”
He said the investigation was “complex and challenging” and had relied heavily on the expertise of forensic officers.
Judge Lord Mulholland told Gibsin: “Your sister – the last person she saw was you strangling her. It was depraved and you will pay a heavy price for that.”
He told Gibson 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.
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