Simon Levy jailed for life after Met and CPS errors let him kill twice

Simon Levy will spend the rest of his life in prison after a judge imposed a whole-life order at the Old Bailey on 12 August 2026. Levy, 40, was convicted of murdering Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 53, in south-east London in March 2025 and Sheryl Wilkins, 39, in Tottenham five months later. Wilkins’s body bore 83 separate injuries.

The court heard that Levy was on bail for the first murder when he killed Wilkins. Police admitted they lacked sufficient evidence to charge him at the time. The Crown Prosecution Service also failed to secure his remand in custody after he was charged with a separate series of sexual assaults on trains.

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Judge Lucraft KC told Levy he had ruthlessly exploited women for his sexual gratification. The judge said the offender had a proven history of sexual violence dating back to 2018, including a 2021 conviction for two sexual assaults that placed him on the sex offender register.

British Transport Police arrested Levy in 2024 for assaulting women on trains but delayed charging him. He went on to commit ten further attacks while on bail. The force moved one officer out of investigations and reprimanded a supervisor but did not refer the case to the police watchdog.

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The Met downgraded Levy’s risk assessment from high to medium in August 2024. Detectives cited his blindness in one eye as a mitigating factor, believing it was the result of a reprisal attack for a previous rape. Two Met officers are now under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Families demand answers

You have done this before and wouldn’t have stopped. Our Sheryl has ended your chances of hurting anyone else. She lost her life to do this, but we truly believe Sheryl has saved countless women from being subjected to your disgusting and horrendous acts. I hope you never walk the streets again as you are a threat to all women.

Mary Wilkins, mother of Sheryl Wilkins

Wilkins’s mother and sister addressed the court during sentencing. Mary Wilkins said her daughter, a sex worker who used drugs, had become a sacrifice to prevent further violence. Lindsey Hicks, Wilkins’s sister, told Levy he had destroyed their lives and should rot in prison.

A third woman, known as ED to protect her identity, gave evidence of being raped and beaten by Levy in Tottenham in January 2025. She told the court she had been trafficked into the UK and used drugs to cope. Police initially spoke to her in a dismissive manner, she said.

DCI Neil John of the Met praised ED’s bravery in providing testimony. The judge commended her for coming to court, saying it took considerable courage. Her evidence helped secure Levy’s conviction for the murders and the earlier attack.

Systemic failures under scrutiny

The case has reignited criticism of police handling of violent offenders. Harriet Wistrich, director of the Centre for Women’s Justice, said the catalogue of failures showed the criminal justice system was in a state of collapse. She called the Met unfit for purpose.

The Angiolini inquiry, set up after the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Met officer, is due to report next year. It is considering whether to describe the force as institutionally misogynist. Previous scandals include the cases of John Worboys, Wayne Couzens and David Carrick, all of whom committed serious offences after police failed to act on earlier warnings.

Kevin Southworth, the Met’s deputy assistant commissioner, said the force had already begun making changes. He acknowledged missed opportunities to prevent Levy’s offending but said improvements were under way before the Independent Office for Police Conduct completes its investigation.

A Crown Prosecution Service source told The Guardian that disciplinary action had been taken against staff over the handling of Levy’s case. The source did not provide details but said further measures would follow.

What happens next

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating two Met officers over their role in downgrading Levy’s risk assessment. The watchdog has not set a timeline for its report. British Transport Police have not referred their own officers to the IOPC despite delays in charging Levy for the train attacks.

The Angiolini inquiry is expected to publish its findings in 2027. The government has ruled out an independent inquiry into the Levy case, despite calls from victims’ groups.