A pair of depraved killers from Fife, who filmed their rape of a drugged and defenceless young father, face life sentences for his murder.
Dylan Brister and Cameron Allan spiked the victim’s drinks, leaving him unconscious, before subjecting him to a sexual assault recorded on a mobile phone.
Father-of-three Calum Simpson, 24, died from intoxication with the Class C drug Etizolam – known as street valium – and alcohol following the attack at Brister’s home in Methil.
Graphic footage recovered from Allan’s phone was shown to a jury during the murder trial at the High Court in Edinburgh, along with photographs of horrific injuries sustained by the dead man.
The trial judge, Lord Harrower, told jurors after they unanimously convicted the pair of sexual assault, rape and murder: “The evidence has been of the most harrowing nature that this court has ever had the misfortune to listen to.”
In light of the nature of the trial he offered counselling services and excused jurors from further jury service for the rest of their lives.
The judge told Brister and Allan there was only one disposal for murder – a life sentence – but adjourned for background reports until next month, remanding both meantime.
Attacked stranger in house
The court heard Allan and Brister had been unsuccessfully seeking to recruit a “submissive” man to make up a threesome.
Allan searched on the gay dating app Grindr and approached someone at the inaugural Pride event in Dundee.
The court heard Calum Simpson, a complete stranger, arrived by chance at their house with a friend who knew the pair and later departed, leaving him alone with them.
Ms Gray said: “There was no evidence that Calum Simpson had any homosexual tendencies.”
Brister, 27, formerly of Herriot Crescent, Methil, and Allan – who will turn 21 on July 20 – of Berrylaw Place, Dunfermline, had denied the murder on November 2 and 3 in 2021.
They were accused of causing Mr Simpson to ingest tablets containing Etizolam – generally stronger than genuine valium – in alcoholic drinks without his knowledge or consent, resulting in him losing consciousness and failing to give or get medical help.
The predatory pair were also convicted of sexually assaulting and raping their victim after he was unconscious.
The victim’s wrists were bound with rope during the attack.
Blamed each other for spiking drinks
During the trial they tried to blame each other for spiking drinks.
Brister, who received almost £1200 a month in benefits, had won more than £20,000 gambling and bought 1000 tablets for £200.
He claimed he believed they were genuine diazepam which came in proper packaging and a pharmacy carrier bag.
But Allan, who said he was at the drugs handover, said it was strips of drugs in a freezer bag and they came with a warning.
He said the woman supplying them warned Brister they were strong and added: “That’s why she gave the warning, someone had already died from taking them.”
Forensic evidence indicated glasses, including a champagne flute-style and a skull shotglass, were spiked with Etizolam before the victim drank from them.
The court heard evidence Brister had previously spiked the drink of a woman with diazepam in 2018 and put tablets in the mouth of another without her consent, which she swallowed and left her feeling dizzy and “spaced out” at his home.
Brister told the court he suffered from complex post traumatic stress disorder and a personality disorder and received anti- psychotic medication.
He said he had been taking a lot of drugs and was drinking heavily and gave tablets to both men who arrived at his house but maintained he did not spike drinks on the night of the murder.
He added: “I was very, very out my face.”
Brister said: ” I won’t dispute the fact that Calum passed out and we carried on.
“I didn’t spike that boy but yes, I gave him drugs.
“We raped him and continued to have sex.
“It is what it is, disgusting. It should never have happened.
“I am not going to make excuses.”
He maintained Allan told him he put five diazepam tablets in the victim’s drink and he called him ‘a f***ing idiot’.
He said: “I genuinely thought they were diazepam, not Etizolam.
“If I knew there was Etizolam in those tablets I would not have taken them.”
‘Wickedly reckless’
The court heard Allan told police in a statement that he said a prayer for their dead victim.
He claimed he had “bad sexual thoughts because of what’s happened to me”.
During a police interview, Brister told officers: “We are not rapists. We are young boys that like a bit of fun.”
Advocate depute Angela Gray told jurors: “What you saw on that footage was rape.
“It was sexual assault. It was committed by both accused acting together.”
The prosecutor said: “This is a plan between both accused to drug Calum Simpson to make sure he does not get up.
“They drugged him for their sexual gratification.
“That drugging was wickedly reckless to the consequences and in so doing they had a complete disregard for the safety and the life of Calum Simpson.”
She said the film was “a glimpse into the depravity” and dynamic between Brister and Allan.
‘Treated like a dog’ by partner
Brister said he met Allan on Grindr after his 16th birthday and they began a relationship but he called off a plan for the pair to marry on the day of the wedding.
Allan, who also received £1200 a month in benefits, said he was diagnosed with an attachment disorder after watching his mother die in a car accident when he was three.
He claimed he is now disgusted he took videos.
His counsel Michael Anderson KC asked him what he thought had happened to Mr Simpson and he replied: “That he died from the drugs that Dylan gave him.”
He claimed the victim was conscious and consenting when he was tied up.
He was asked why he continued after the victim passed out and said he did not know he was doing something wrong at the time.
He told police that he had “bad sex thoughts” because of what happened to him when he was younger and added: “This is the first time I have acted on those thoughts.”
Allan said he was in love with Brister but claimed the older man ill-treated him.
He said: “I was treated more like a dog than a servant. He was just a violent, angry man.”
The pair are on the sex offenders register.
Conviction welcomed by police
Detective Inspector Scott Roxburgh, Senior Investigating Officer, said: “Our thoughts are very much with Calum’s family and friends and I hope that the conviction brings them some kind of closure.
“This was a particularly horrific and sickening attack on a young man who died after being drugged and sexually attacked. Both men will now face the consequences of their actions.
“I would like to thank officers who carried out enquiries as this was a complex and harrowing investigation.”
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