Probe into Amber Gibson's care is 'months from release'

Evil Connor Gibson, 21, will spend a minimum of 22 years in prison after he violently strangled Amber, 16, in Hamilton, Lanarkshire on November 26 2021 and dumped her body in a local park.

The warped brute removed Amber's clothes, sexually assaulted and tried to rape her, as well as repeatedly inflicting blunt force trauma to her head and body.

Connor Gibson (Image: Crown Office)

Gibson - who also uses the name Niven like his sister did - then strangled the teenager with his bare hands.

Co-accused Stephen Corrigan, 45, was also jailed for nine years after he was convicted of trying to defeat the ends of justice. He found Amber’s body, but rather than alert police, he instead inappropriately touched her and then hid her remains under bushes.

Gibson and Corrigan were both sentenced on Monday at the High Court in Livingston after a trial in Glasgow.

At the time of her murder, Amber was staying at the town’s Hillhouse children’s home, which is serviced by South Lanarkshire Council.

Foster parents Craig and Carol Niven, who had previously looked after both Gibson and Amber, said the siblings had been "let down" by the care system.

They said: "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."

A probe carried out by the Child Protection Committee (CPC) is expected to determine what lessons can be learned from the circumstances surrounding the teen’s tragic death.

It’s understood interviews with those involved in Amber’s care and witnesses who gave evidence at the criminal case are still being carried out.

It’s expected the results of the review won’t be publicly available until towards the end of the year and will be shared with the CPC and Public Protection Chief Officer in the first instance.

READ MORE: Detective says murderer showed 'no remorse'

Professor Soumen Sengupta, Director of Health and Social Care, told the Glasgow Times: "This has been a desperately sad and distressing case and our thoughts remain with everyone who loved and cared for Amber, and who continue to mourn her. She had her whole life ahead of her and it is truly tragic that she was so brutally robbed of her future.

"As previously advised, all aspects of Amber's care are the subject of an independent review, and we are committed to the publication of appropriate outcomes of that review once we are able to release them."

We previously told how one of Police Scotland's most senior detectives had described Gibson as a ‘cold and calculated killer' - and said that he had never shown an ounce of remorse for his sickening crimes.

Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Livingstone said the case was one of the most traumatic he had worked on during his near-30 year career.

DCI Paul Livingstone (Image: Gordon Terris)

He added: “I’ve spent 29 years in the job and this case was very challenging for everyone involved. Sadly, we will never know if Amber’s death could have been avoided.

“The circumstances were so unique and horrific that it would be almost impossible to anticipate that something like this could happen. Who knows what was going through Gibson’s mind?

"It’s hard to comprehend how difficult this has been for Amber’s family and friends and I hope that this conviction and sentencing brings them some degree of closure. The actions of both Gibson and Corrigan leave them beneath contempt. Gibson has never once shown an ounce of remorse.”