Murder accused was 'evasive' to police, trial told

A man on trial for killing his sister was "evasive" and "contradictory" when questioned about the last time he saw her, a court has heard.

Connor Gibson, 20, denies sexually assaulting and murdering 16-year-old Amber Gibson in Hamilton on 26 November 2021.

Her body was found in the town's Cadzow Glen, days after she was last seen.

Mr Gibson is claimed to have told an officer that he got into a disagreement with Amber and left her crying.

But Sgt Scott Anderson said he was unclear on the location of the argument.

The police officer told jurors that he made a follow-up phone call to Mr Gibson on the morning of 27 November.

When asked what the accused said during the call, Sgt Anderson replied: "He said that he met Amber about 21:30 on the Friday and they walked around the Hamilton area.

"They had a disagreement later on about 22:30 regarding their foster parents. When he left Amber, she was crying."

Mr Goddard asked the witness if he questioned the accused on the location of the last sighting.

He replied: "Yes, I asked him where he was... he was evasive, avoiding the question at times.

"He said he did not know the area that well."

PC Anderson added that Mr Gibson was "quite contradictory at times" in regards to the Hamilton area and landmarks.

Jurors also heard that the accused returned home muddy claiming to have fell in a ditch.

The officer stated that when he asked where the fall had taken place he said it happened behind a local football ground.

The witness said: "I asked why he was there and he said he was running from a friend's house in the Whitehill area."

When asked the name and address of the friend, Mr Gibson refused to give details as he didn't want "anyone else involved".

The court also heard from Sgt David Carmichael who found Amber's body near a burn in Cadzow Park.

The witness stated he did not get close enough to identify if the body was male or female but did he did see it had "longish hair".

When asked if the body was concealed in any way, Sgt Carmichael replied: "Yes. it looked like there were branches broken off and placed against the body, probably thicker towards the bottom half rather than the top."

Former Det Sgt Stephen Hendry, who was the crime scene manager, told the jury three area searches of the park were carried out.

A pair of jogging bottoms and a top, both of which were blood stained, were found in the undergrowth near the body.

The search also recovered a bra and a Samsung mobile phone, which was in three pieces.

Meanwhile, a puffer jacket with a furry hood was found in a burn.

Another man, Stephen Corrigan, 44, is also on trial in relation to the circumstances surrounding the discovery of Amber's remains.

It is claimed Mr Corrigan found her body, but rather than alert police he inappropriately touched her and then hid her remains under bushes and branches.

He is accused of a breach of the peace and trying to defeat the ends of justice. Mr Corrigan has lodged a special defence of alibi saying he was elsewhere at the time.

Both men deny all the charges against them and the trial continues.