STV NewsA man killed his “much-loved” friend by restraining him during a drug-fueled “threesome” with a former male escort, a court has heard.
William Rae, 41, killed Paul O’Hagan on the evening of February 13, 2025, at his home in Grangemouth, near Falkirk.
Judge Lady Drummond heard how Rae had contacted a man called Graham Bell, 30, through the gay dating app Grindr.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Rae sent Bell a message in which he asked the former male escort whether he would be up for a “threesome”.
The jury heard that as the evening progressed, the three men took considerable amounts of methamphetamine – otherwise known as the drug crystal meth. They also consumed quantities of class B substance GBL.
The jury heard that as the evening progressed, Rae assaulted Mr O’Hagan by placing tape over his eyes and mouth when he knew that his victim’s nasal passages were full of mucus.
He also placed a child’s nappy and tape over his head and neck, which restricted Mr O’Hagan’s breathing and ability to communicate.
He then further restrained him by placing Mr O’Hagan’s hands behind his back, tying them together with cuffs and a ligature before binding his legs together.
Rae then placed Mr O’Hagan on his front and tied his arms and legs together in what the jurors heard resulted in the deceased man being “hog-tied”.
Rae pleaded guilty to a charge of culpable homicide and agreed to the terms of a charge which stated that Mr O’Hagan’s “ability to communicate and move freely was restricted… and he was unable to free himself or seek assistance.”
The charge further stated that Rae did: “leave him in said position, all to his severe injury and to the danger of his life and did thereafter, knowing he had sustained injuries, his breathing had become laboured, and he was in distress, fail to remove such ligatures, tape and nappy from his body, mouth, head and neck immediately.”
The charge also stated that Rae then failed “to appropriately ascertain if he required medical assistance immediately, all as a result of which he became unconscious and you did kill him.”
Giving evidence at proceedings last week, Rae told jurors that he couldn’t remember much about what happened to Mr O’Hagen due to the amount of drugs he had consumed.
But he said he remembered the moment that Mr O’Hagen became unwell.
He added: “All I remember is what happened is that Paul’s head just dropped to the ground. I shook him. There was a noise coming from him. It was a groan. I ended up on my phone and called 999.”
The story emerged following the end of a trial against Bell, of Langlees, Falkirk.
He was acquitted by a unanimous not guilty verdict on the same culpable homicide charge to which Rae had pleaded guilty in June this year.
Rae gave evidence against Bell, who told jurors that on February 13, 2025, he was working as a male escort on a website called Sleepy Boys.
The court heard that Bell didn’t know Rae or Mr O’Hagan but had agreed to go to his former co-accused’s flat on Paris Street, Grangemouth, for what the jury heard was a BDSM session – a term used for sexual practices involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission,
Rae had told the court that both he and Mr O’Hagan had taken large quantities of crystal meth. Bell also said he had consumed the drug.
Rae told the court the reason why they consumed drugs was to enhance an “erotic experience”.
He spoke of how he restrained his friend and placed a nappy on his face which contained quantities of amyl nitrate – which is known as “poppers”.
Rae said: “He was on his belly. His legs and arms were tied behind his back.”
The court heard that Mr O’Hagan was in this position for around 30 to 40 minutes before he fell unwell.
Paramedics rushed to the property in a bid to resuscitate Mr O’Hagan, but they were unable to do so, and he was declared dead in the early hours of February 14, 2025.
A consultant forensic pathologist conducted a post-mortem of Mr O’Hagan’s body and recorded the cause of his death as ‘mixed drug intoxication in the context of restraint’.
He told the court that the post-mortem showed that Mr O’Hagan had consumed high levels of methamphetamine and GML.
When prosecutor Eilidh Robertson asked whether the level of methamphetamine in Mr O’Hagan’s body could have been “fatal”, the medic replied: “Yes. It could have been.”
Bell gave evidence during proceedings. He said he wasn’t working as an escort on the night in question and had gone to the house after being contacted on Grindr.
The court heard that he had started to have sex with Mr O’Hagan but stopped because he had concerns about how intoxicated he was.
He said that Rae was responsible for restraining Mr O’Hagan.
He said: “William on his own tied up and gagged Paul.”
When Ms Robertson asked whether he stopped Rae, Bell replied: “Unfortunately not.”
He added: “I probably should have reacted, but it took me a while. I should have got involved in what was happening.”
He said he regretted what happened to Mr O’Hagan but denied he did anything wrong.
Bell added: “We should have been paying more attention. We shouldn’t have been taking drugs. If I could go back and change things then I would.”
The jurors spent Wednesday morning deliberating their verdict before returning a not guilty verdict.
Lady Drummond told Bell following the verdict: “The jury by their unanimous verdict found you not guilty of this charge. You have been acquitted. You are free to go.”
Bell said ‘thank you’ as he left the dock.
The judge said to jurors that the evidence was “quite disturbing at some points” and added that a free counselling service was available for those who wished to use it.
Ms Robertson told the court after Rae’s case was called that Mr O’Hagan worked for a train operator and was deeply missed by family and friends.
Lady Drummond said she would read victim impact statements provided by friends and family and added: “It is quite clear to me he must be very deeply missed by all of them.”
The judge told Rae that the crime he committed was “a very serious offence”. She pointed out that Rae has “quite a number of previous convictions for assault”.
The judge continued his case for the preparation of a background report on him, and Rae was placed on the sex offenders’ register.
He was remanded in custody and will return to the High Court in Edinburgh for sentencing on December 15, 2026.
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