Bobbie Cowan’s partner Calum Simpson was drugged, raped and murdered by Dylan Brister and Cameron Allan in November 2021. She is now raising their four children alone
A woman whose partner was drugged, raped and murdered during a night out said she felt “sickened” when police knocked on her door to inform her of the tragic news.
Bobbie Cowan, 26, had given birth to the couple’s daughter, Lyla, just 11 days before Calum Simpson was killed at the age of 24 between November 2 and November 3, 2021. The mum-of-four, from Fife, Scotland, is now raising their children – Calum, Mirren, Romi, who has a different dad but was loved by Calum as if she was his daughter, and Lyla – alone.
The investigation found that Dylan Brister, 27, and Cameron Allan, 21, spiked Calum’s drink, leaving him unconscious, before subjecting him to a serious sexual assault which they recorded on a mobile telephone. Calum died from intoxication caused by the Class C drug Etizolam and alcohol.
In July 2024, Brister and Allan were found guilty following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. In October, Brister was ordered to serve a minimum of 23 years in custody. Allan was sentenced to a minimum of 19 years imprisonment. Both their names have been added to sex offenders register for an indefinite period, the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service said.
Talking about the last time she saw Calum alive, Bobbie said: “The night Calum went out, we’d had a few words and he left on a bad note. It was nothing serious but I’ll always regret that because they were the last words we ever spoke to each other. When he didn’t come home, I felt annoyed that he’d left me to look after the children on my own. I could never have imagined what was coming next.”
She added: “My world fell apart when the police came to tell me he was dead. When I found out he’d been attacked and raped, I was sickened. He must have suffered so much. The children and I miss him terribly. They each have a teddy bear which has Calum’s voice inside, saying: ‘I love you and I will see you soon.’ It breaks my heart.”
After learning that Calum had been murdered by two men he had never met before, Bobbie was shocked. She said: “It didn’t make any sense. Why would one human being do that to another, for absolutely no reason at all?” The heartbroken mum described her heartbreak at the fact Calum will not be around to see their children grow up.
Sentencing at the High Court in Dundee, judge Lord Harrower told Brister and Allan that they had caused “terrible devastation” to Calum’s family. He said: “There are so many milestones in the children’s lives that their father will no longer be able to share for reasons that cannot adequately be explained to them. No sentence of this court can alleviate the family’s grief and anguish.”
Bobbie now told The Sun: “I hope they rot in jail. No sentence can ever bring my children’s daddy back. I want Calum to be remembered for the kind, loving person he was. He was an amazing father and Mirren in particular looks so much like him, she reminds me of him every day. It’s a comfort to know that he lives on through his children, yet it breaks my heart that he is no longer with us.”
Moira Orr, who leads on homicide and major crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said after the killers were sentenced: “The depraved and predatory actions of Dylan Brister and Cameron Allan have robbed a family of their loving son, father, partner, nephew and grandson. They showed a blatant disregard for their victim’s safety and life by spiking his drink with drugs before subjecting him to the most harrowing sexual abuse.
“We have worked hard to deliver justice for Calum Simpson and his family, who continue to deal with the devastation and trauma of losing their loved one. The COPFS team used every tool at our disposal to ensure these two men faced the consequences of their despicable actions. Our thoughts remain with Calum’s family and friends.”