'Blood on their hands': Relative of girl killed and sexually assaulted by brother slams social services
27 July 2023, 06:41 | Updated: 27 July 2023, 06:43
A relative of a 16-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted and murdered by her brother have hit out at the social services, claiming that they have "her blood on their hands".
Connor Gibson, 20, attacked his teenage sister Amber in woodland in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, on November 26 2021 - strangling and sexually assaulting her with the intention of raping her.
Gibson denied the attack but was found guilty on Tuesday after a jury found him guilty on a combination of CCTV and DNA evidence, including his bloodstained jacket.
The brother and sister were moved out of their family home as young children after their father was persistently violent with their mother.
They were placed into a foster home, but this didn't work out and Amber moved into care, while Connor remained with the foster family.
A family member said that the local council's social services team had blocked their grandparents' efforts to have the Gibson children stay with them.
"The social work department has blood on its hands," a relative said.
"Ambers’ grandparents, Mr and Mrs Adams, are lovely people and did their best for the children, but they needed more help from the authorities and didn’t get it," the unnamed family member told MailOnline.
"It put an enormous financial strain on the Adams, when they had the kids, but they were offered no help. The council seemed to prefer to spend hundreds and hundreds of pounds placing Amber and Connor with foster parents, rather than their own family."
South Lanarkshire Council's social work department said that the case was "truly" tragic and an independent investigation was taking place. A source with knowledge of the matter said that Amber and Connor's family had never applied for custody.
Connor Gibson found guilty of the murder and sexual assault of his sister
It comes after it emerged that their father Peter Gibson, 62, was convicted of ten charges earlier this year that took place between June 2001 and February 2008, including rape.
Gibson tied his victim up and blindfolded her up. He also grabbed his victim by the neck, which restricted her breathing.
Other offences included the indecent assault of a young boy, punching and kicking him.
He was also found guilty of lewd and libidinous behaviour towards another boy, and physically assaulting him and threatening the child.
A judge ordered him to be supervised for a further three years on his release.
In his son's case, new footage released by police shows the younger Gibson walking his sister to her death, then walking back alone, after murdering her.
At one point in the chilling CCTV footage released by prosecutors, Gibson can be seen leaning against railings, apparently exhausted from the attack.
Tragic teen Amber was reported missing on Friday November 26 2021, and her body found in Cadzow Glen two days later.
Connor Gibson was arrested on December 1.
The day before his arrest he posted 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 court heard "widespread" blood staining was found on his jacket and that his DNA was found on her shorts and underwear, which had been "forcibly torn off".
Their foster father, Craig Niven said he tried not to leave them in each other’s company because they were "not a good mix".
Also on trial was Stephen Corrigan, 45, who was found guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by intimately touching and concealing Amber's body after discovering her at some point in the following two days, instead of contacting the emergency services.
He also denied the charges and had lodged a special defence of alibi.
Amber's body was found at Cadzow Glen on November 28, 2021.
Professor Soumen Sengupta, Director of Health and Social Care for South Lanarkshire, said: "This has been a truly tragic case, and our thoughts remain with all those who knew and loved Amber.
"There are established procedures in place for tragic events of this nature which are designed to ensure that events are fully understood and, if necessary, learned from.‘In this case, after Amber’s death the Care Inspectorate and the Chair of the Child Protection Committee (CPC) were informed. The CPC acted to establish an independent review under an extremely experienced independent expert in the field.
"They have already carried out most of the work involved and will now be able to conclude the review, including interviewing people who were witnesses in the criminal case.
"The results of the review will be delivered to the CPC once complete and then shared with the Public Protection Chief Officer Group. It is anticipated that the findings will be publicly reported in an appropriate format."
