Two men who drugged, raped and murdered a young father in Fife have been jailed for life

Two men who drugged, raped and murdered a young father in Fife have been jailed for life.

Dylan Brister, 27, and Cameron Allan, 21, spiked Calum Simpson’s drink, causing him to pass out at a property in Methill in November 2021.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard the pair then subjected their victim to a serious sexual assault, which they recorded on their phone.

Simpson, 24, died of poisoning from the class C drug etizolam – commonly found in “street Valium” – and alcohol.

Brister and Allan were found guilty on July 19, 2024 following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.

During the trial, it is heard that the victim was unknowingly drugged

The court heard Allan and Brister tried to recruit a man to have a threesome with them, but efforts to find a participant were unsuccessful.

Allan searched the gay dating app Grindr, but Brister knew about the plan, which included looking for a “submissive.”

Mr. Simpson arrived at the house with a friend who knew the couple but was otherwise a complete stranger.

He was forced to swallow tablets containing etizolam contained in alcoholic beverages without his knowledge or consent, as a result of which he lost consciousness.

During the trial, the pair tried to blame each other for spiking their drinks with the controlled drug, which is widely available in so-called “street Valium” but is up to ten times more powerful than diazepam.

While he was unconscious, Mr Simpson was sexually assaulted and raped while his wrists were tied with rope.

Brister and Allan recorded several cell phone videos of their actions, but managed to delete them before the phone could be checked.

When interviewed by police later that day, they insisted that Mr Simposon was conscious, alert and consenting at all times.

One of the deleted videos, recorded at 2.45am and recovered by Police Scotland’s specialist cybercrime unit, shows that it was already clear that the victim was under the influence of sedatives while committing the acts of sexual abuse.

They then failed to call emergency services until 12:00 the next day, after leaving the victim unconscious.

The couple planned for the victim to ‘won’t get up’

At the High Court’s sentencing in Dundee, Lord Harrower told the pair: ‘Each of you was aware of the inherent dangers of so-called ‘street Valium’. You knew Calum Simpson would be particularly vulnerable due to his lack of tolerance and the fact that he was already under the influence of alcohol.

“At the trial, each of you blamed the other for administering drugs.

“However, it was clear from the evidence that you were jointly involved in a plan to ensure – as you put it at the time, Mr Allan – that Calum Simpson did not get up.

“Whether you intended to kill Calum Simpson or not, you both proved completely indifferent to whether he lived or died.

“As a result, the jury would be entitled to find that you were so wickedly reckless that what you did amounted to murder.

“However, it was clear from the evidence that you were jointly involved in a plan to ensure – as you put it at the time, Mr Allan – that Calum Simpson did not get up. Whether you intended to kill Calum Simpson or not, you both turned out to be completely indifferent to whether he lived or died.

Brister was ordered to serve a minimum of 23 years in custody.

Allan was sentenced to a minimum of 19 years in prison and both were placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

Moira Orr, who deals with homicides and serious crimes at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: “The demoralized and predatory actions of Dylan Brister and Cameron Allan have robbed the family of a loving son, father, partner and nephew and grandson.

“They showed blatant disregard for the victim’s safety and life by drugging her drink and then subjecting her to the most harrowing sexual abuse.

“We have worked hard to secure justice for Calum Simpson and his family as they continue to struggle with the devastation and trauma of the loss of a loved one.

“The COPFS team used every tool at our disposal to ensure these two men faced consequences for their despicable actions.

“Our thoughts remain with Calum’s family and friends.”