Two men filmed their rape of a drugged and defenceless young father before murdering him.
Dylan Brister, 27, and Cameron Allan, 20, spiked the victim’s drinks leaving him unconscious, before subjecting him to a sexual assault that was recorded on a mobile phone.
Father-of-three Calum Simpson, 24, died from intoxication with the Class C drug Etizolam and alcohol following the attack on him at Brister’s home in Methil, in Fife. His youngest child was born 11 days earlier.
Graphic footage recovered from Allan’s phone was shown to a jury during the trial of the pair for murder at the High Court in Edinburgh along with photographs of horrific injuries sustained by the Mr Simpson in the attack on him.
The trial judge, Lord Harrower, told jurors after they unanimously convicted the pair of the 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.”
He said that in light of the sensitive nature of the trial any juror would be entitled to use counselling services if required and excused them from further jury service for the rest of their lives.
The judge told Brister and Allan to expect a life sentence for murder when they return to the dock next month.
During the footage Allan could be heard saying to his accomplice: “At least he is still breathing.”
The court heard that Allan and Brister had been seeking to recruit a man to make up a threesome with them but efforts to find a participant failed.
Allan was searching on the gay dating app Grindr, but Brister was aware of the plan which involved seeking a “submissive”.
Advocate depute Angela Gray said: “And then Calum Simpson, a complete stranger, arrives by chance.”
Mr Simpson arrived at the house with a friend who knew the pair and later departed leaving him alone with them.
The court heard that there was no evidence that Calum Simpson was homosexual.
Brister, formerly of Methil, and Allan, of Dunfermline, had denied murdering Mr Simpson on November 2 and 3 in 2021.
They were accused of causing him to ingest tablets containing Etizolam in alcoholic drinks without his knowledge or consent, resulting in him losing consciousness and failing to give or get medical help for the victim.
The 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.
During the trial the pair tried to blame each other for spiking drinks with the controlled drug etizolam, which is commonly found in so-called “street Valium”, but is up to ten times more potent than diazepam.
It is now involved in a substantial number of drug deaths in Scotland.
Brister had won more than £20,000 by gambling and bought 1,000 tablets for £200.
He claimed that 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 with the supplier warning them that someone had already died from taking them.
Brister claimed that Allan revealed to him after the victim died that he put the tablets into drink for Mr Simpson, but Allan told the court that he saw his ex-fiance put drugs in drinks destined for the victim.
During an interview with police, Brister told officers: “We are not rapists. We are young boys that like a bit of fun.”
The court heard evidence that 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.
Allan, who was on bail, was remanded in custody following the verdicts. Brister was already in prison awaiting trial. The pair were told they will be on the sex offenders’ register.
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