Men who raped and murdered a young father in Methil are sentenced to life in prison

Two men who drugged, raped and murdered a young father of four have been sentenced to life in prison.

Dylan Brister and Cameron Allan spiked Calum Simpson's drink with etizolam and tied his wrists with rope in a flat in Methil, Fife, before filming their “depraved” attack on a mobile phone.

Mr Simpson, 24, whose youngest child was born just 11 days earlier, later died from intoxication caused by the combination of Class C drugs and alcohol.

Brister, 28, who also admitted attacking two police officers, was told he would serve at least 23 years, while Allan, 21, received a 19-year sentence after both were previously found guilty of sexual assault, rape and murder had been.

Passing sentence at the High Court in Dundee, Judge Lord Harrower told the couple they had caused “terrible devastation” to Mr Simpson's family.

He said: “There are so many milestones in children's lives that their father can no longer share for reasons that cannot be adequately explained to them.”

“No ruling from this court can ease the family’s grief and heartache.”

The court heard the couple had tried to recruit a man for a threesome via the dating app Grindr, but their efforts had failed.

Mr Simpson had been with a friend before accompanying him to the apartment on November 3, 2021.

His friend had later left, leaving Mr Simpson alone with Brister and Allan.

Brister, who won more than £20,000 gambling, had bought 1,000 tablets of Etizolam, also known as “Street Valium”, which he claimed were diazepam.

The court was told the sedative was up to ten times more powerful than regular Valium.

Brister had previously spiked one woman's drink and put pills in another's mouth without her consent.

Mr Simpson was knocked unconscious by the combination of tablets and alcohol.

Allan claimed Mr Simpson was conscious and consenting when he was tied up by the pair, but admitted they continued their attack after he “passed out”.

The pair filmed several videos of their attack on a mobile phone, which were later deleted, but officers from Police Scotland's specialist cybercrime unit were able to retrieve the footage.

During the earlier trial, Brister told the court: “I will not dispute the fact that Calum passed out and we carried on. I didn’t sting the 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 won’t make excuses.”

Allan, meanwhile, said he was “disgusted” that the videos had been taken, but said he “didn't know he had done anything wrong” at the time.

After their attack, the pair left Mr Simpson unconscious before going to sleep. In the morning they found him cold and stiff.

However, before contacting emergency services, the two first hid the remaining drugs in a safe and gave them to a neighbor.

At 12.03pm emergency personnel were called and confirmed Mr Simpson had died.

During the trial, Brister said he suffered from complex post-traumatic stress disorder and a personality disorder and was receiving antipsychotic medication.

Allan said he was diagnosed with attachment disorder after witnessing his mother die in a car accident when he was three years old.

In addition to their sentences, both men were placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

During sentencing, Lord Harrower said: “Whether you wanted to kill Calum Simpson or not, it appeared that you were completely indifferent to whether he lived or died.”

“As a result, the jury should have been entitled to conclude that you exhibited such a level of evil recklessness that your act amounted to murder.”

Lord Harrower disqualified the jury from further service for life based on the evidence presented.

Moira Orr, murder and serious crime officer at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: “The depraved and predatory actions of Dylan Brister and Cameron Allan have robbed a family of their loving son, father, partner and nephew.” and grandchildren.

“They showed a blatant disregard for the safety and life of their victim by drugging his drink before subjecting him to the most horrific sexual abuse.”