Meeting Dylan Brister
In 2020, Becky Young met Dylan Brister at a party. Initially, she considered him harmless, a new acquaintance during a difficult breakup. They developed a friendship, but over time, Becky noticed concerning behaviours.
Brister's mood was unpredictable; he would become agitated if Becky was not present to witness his outbursts, frequently sent her numerous messages, and appeared at her home without prior notice.
Escalation of Erratic Behaviour
Despite Becky ending contact with Brister, his erratic conduct continued. Approximately ten months later, his actions escalated to a more dangerous level.
Arson and Loss
On 23 October 2021, Brister unlawfully entered Becky's residence, ignited a jacket, and left the property to burn. Tragically, he confined her two cats in the bathroom, resulting in their deaths from smoke inhalation.
Less than two weeks later, Brister committed a further violent crime involving Calum Simpson, a 24-year-old father of four from Methil.
Murder of Calum Simpson
Brister, along with an accomplice, Cameron Allan, drugged, raped, and murdered Simpson. The attack was recorded on a mobile phone.
In October 2024, Brister was sentenced to a minimum of 23 years imprisonment for the murder. He has recently admitted to initiating the fire at Becky's home in Dalgety Bay, Fife.
Judicial Remarks and Sentencing
During sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh, Judge Norman McFadyen KC described the crime as "totally shocking" with "very significant consequences." He characterized Brister as "a very dangerous man."
Brister received an additional 32-month sentence for the arson, to be served consecutively with his life sentence for murder.
Becky's Experience on the Night of the Fire
At the time of the fire, Becky was staying at her girlfriend's residence when two police officers arrived to inform her of the incident.
"When it finally started to sink in, I fell to the ground as my body couldn't hold me up I was so shocked," Becky recalled.
"Straight away I thought of my cats and when I asked, the police officer's face said everything.
"I began to sob and then we went straight over there. When we arrived there weren't any flames left.
"It was just a black burnt out shell and you could see the smoke from a mile away."
Following initial investigations, Becky was accompanied back to her home by police officers.
Brister's DNA was discovered on a beer bottle found at the scene, which he had consumed from and left behind.
Upon entering the property, Becky found her belongings destroyed by the fire.
"When the smoke had calmed down I went back to see if I could salvage anything and left with a black bag filled with my gran's ornaments," she said.
"My whole flat was just ash, anything you touched turned to black dust and when you looked up you could see through the ceiling.
"I lost everything. My gran had died the year before and the fire took everything, all our family pictures, all our memories just gone."
Details of the Murder Case
In the weeks following the fire, Becky learned about the violent attack on Calum Simpson by Brister and Allan. Simpson's youngest child had been born just 11 days prior to the fatal incident.
The court heard that Brister and Allan had attempted to recruit a third individual for a threesome via the dating app Grindr, but were unsuccessful.
Simpson was left alone with Brister and Allan after his friend departed from a flat in Methil.
Brister, who had won over £20,000 through gambling, had purchased 1,000 tablets of Etizolam, commonly known as "street valium." The pair spiked Simpson's drink with the drug and restrained his wrists with rope. They recorded the assault on video, continuing even after Simpson lost consciousness.
Simpson died from intoxication caused by the combination of the class C drug and alcohol.
Becky's Reflections and Impact
Becky provided a character reference during Brister's trial and expressed the lasting impact the case has had on her.
"The murder rocked the community, everyone was so shocked," she said.
"Everyone knew everyone in the area but Dylan really made a point of making himself well known.
"Whether it was about his family, his past, or his reputation he would use anything for attention.
"He wanted to be known, he wanted to be famous for something and he didn't care what it took.
"Now he is famous for being a monster."
Now aged 40, Becky is working to rebuild her life but acknowledges the difficulty in coping with the events from five years ago.
"I still can't get my head around what he has done," she said.
"There is not a day that goes by where I don't think about it and what they did to Calum's family.
"I didn't process it, I couldn't, it was too difficult."
Becky revealed she lost four-and-a-half stone in three months due to an inability to eat.
"The mental scars will never go away. I have fought for years to get justice.
"My kids and my partner are the only thing kept me going - I couldn't have got here without them."
