Man jailed for raping Amber Gibson months before her murder

A antheral who raped a teen 5 months earlier she was murdered by her member has been jailed.

Jamie Starrs, 20, assaulted and raped Amber Gibson portion she was dormant oregon unconscious astatine a spot successful Bothwell successful June 2021.

He was recovered blameworthy astatine the High Court successful Lanark successful July, and connected Tuesday helium was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years successful prison.

He was besides convicted of raping different teenage miss successful Bothwell successful May 2021.

Amber, 16, was sexually assaulted and murdered successful November 2021 by her member Connor Gibson.

He was convicted past period pursuing a abstracted proceedings astatine the High Court successful Glasgow.

Det Con Ross McCaig told the assemblage astatine Starrs' proceedings helium had taken a connection from Amber astir the attack.

She said she met Starrs, who was a alien to her, and 2 others earlier heading to Bothwell.

The tribunal heard that Amber revealed she had been attacked portion successful a supported accommodation portion successful Blantyre.

A teenage lad had told unit who alerted police.

Amber told officers: "The crushed I deliberation I was raped was that I woke up successful a furniture with nary apparel connected my bottommost fractional with a lad I had lone met bare nether the covers.

"I can't retrieve hugging him oregon kissing him astatine all."

Amber identified her attacker aft being shown a committee of photographs by police.

The different unfortunate told the tribunal she had been attacked by Starrs portion she was drunk and incapable to springiness consent.

The tribunal heard that Starrs attempted to pervert the people of justness by sending threatening messages connected Facebook to a lad linked to the 2nd girl.

He tried to get this boy, who cannot beryllium named for ineligible reasons, to unit the pistillate into withdrawing her evidence.

As good arsenic his situation sentence, Judge Thomas Welsh ordered Starrs to beryllium supervised for 2 years connected release..

At the High Court successful Edinburgh the justice said: "You person been convicted of appalling crimes against 2 guiltless teenage girls and you person been assessed arsenic being of precise precocious hazard of intersexual unit connected release.

"I americium required to instrumentality into relationship your property and hard upbringing - however, the crimes stay superior and grave, and I volition enforce an extended sentence."

He said helium would person ordered 11 years to beryllium served successful custody but reduced this to 10-and-a-half years to instrumentality into relationship the clip that Starrs had spent connected remand.

Starrs, who appeared via video nexus from custody, has been placed connected the enactment offenders registry indefinitely.

He was besides recovered blameworthy of attempting to pervert the people of justness and a breach of bail conditions.

Michael Meehan KC, who represented Starrs, highlighted that the condemnation indispensable instrumentality into relationship sentencing guidelines for nether 25s.

The guidelines authorities that radical aged nether 25 successful Scotland should beryllium fixed lesser sentences due to the fact that of their affectional immaturity and the information that that they person a greater accidental of rehabilitation.

Mr Meehan said a study identified that Starrs showed "cognitive and affectional immaturity".

Mr Meehan besides urged the justice to see his client's adverse puerility experiences.

He told the tribunal that Starrs was removed from parental attraction astatine the property of 3 and developed addiction issues from the property of nine.

"He has a traumatic inheritance from a young property which possibly gives immoderate grade of explanation," the lawyer said.

He added that Starrs was "vulnerable to antagonistic influences" and had a "chaotic lifestyle".

The sentencing comes a fortnight aft Connor Gibson, 20, was convicted of attacking his sister Amber successful Caddo Glen, Hamilton successful November 2021.

He was recovered blameworthy of removing her clothes, sexually assaulting her with the volition of raping her, inflicting blunt unit trauma to her caput and body, and strangling her.

Amber was reported missing connected the evening of Friday 26 November and her assemblage was discovered successful Caddo Glen connected 28 November.

Stephen Corrigan - who was chartless to some Amber and Connor Gibson - recovered her body, but alternatively than alert police, helium inappropriately touched her and past concealed her remains.

The 45-year-old was recovered blameworthy of attempting to decision the ends of justness and breach of the peace.

The 2 men volition beryllium sentenced connected 4 September astatine the High Court successful Livingston.