Simon Levy, a 40-year-old serial sex attacker, has been convicted at the Old Bailey of murdering two women and raping a third, following a string of police and court failures that allowed him to remain free and continue his violent spree. The jury delivered its verdict after 13 hours of deliberation, prompting tears from the victims' families as Levy, sporting a pointed beard and sunglasses, showed no reaction.
Seven-Year Crime Spree
Levy's criminal activities spanned from 2018 to 2025, encompassing numerous sexual assaults on women in public spaces, as well as the murders of Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 53, in March 2025, and Sheryl Wilkins, 39, in August 2025. Both victims were suffocated in sexually motivated attacks. Valencia-Trujillo's body was discovered in a largely abandoned block of flats on the Aylesbury estate in south-east London, while Wilkins was found behind a car park wall near Tottenham High Road, north London.
In addition to the murders, Levy was found guilty of two counts of rape, grievous bodily harm with intent, and the non-fatal smothering of a third woman, whose collarbone was broken during a brutal sexual assault in January 2025 in the same car park where Wilkins later died.
Systemic Failures Exposed
The Metropolitan Police, British Transport Police (BTP), and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have all admitted failings in their handling of Levy, who was on bail as his attacks escalated. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Kevin Southworth from the Met acknowledged a "collective system failure" that left Levy free to offend. He told the Press Association: "There's a collective system failure here, which has left Levy free to go on offending in this awful manner and left these victims at risk from his prolific offending, and that's something which ourselves and colleagues across the criminal justice system will need to reflect on."
Levy had been jailed in 2021 for groping two women in 2018, but was released and continued to offend. He sexually assaulted a prison guard in 2022, yet was released the following year. In October 2023, he assaulted a woman on the Tube, and in May 2024, he allegedly raped another, leading to a recall to prison and subsequent release in August 2024.
Missed Opportunities
BTP arrested Levy in November 2024 for four sexual assaults on the Tube, but delays in arranging an identification parade until April 2025 left him free to commit further crimes. Officers also failed to notice that his Oyster card was stolen, providing him with free travel that he used on the day of Valencia-Trujillo's murder.
After Valencia-Trujillo's death, Levy was released on bail at two magistrates' court hearings in May and June 2025. The CPS admitted it did not oppose bail at the first hearing, and at the second, the prosecutor failed to provide the court with all relevant information. Additionally, Levy missed three crown court hearings without an arrest warrant being requested. Less than two weeks after a hearing on August 11, he murdered Wilkins.
Monitoring and Deception
As a convicted sex offender, Levy was under probation and police supervision. He repeatedly lied to officers who visited his home in Tottenham, claiming he stayed indoors watching YouTube and films. He exploited his partial sight, lost in one eye after an attack in May 2024, to appear unsteady and avoid suspicion.
At a separate trial at Inner London Crown Court, Levy attempted to blame his partial sight and crowded trains for groping ten women on London's transport network between October 2023 and May 2025. Jurors rejected his claims, convicting him of 11 counts of indecent assault, including the 2022 prison guard incident. He received an extended sentence of six years in jail plus a three-year licence period. Judge Michael Evans told him: "You were on the Tube for one purpose only, to sexually assault women."
Victims' Impact
One of Levy's victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, expressed her horror upon learning of his history: "After reporting the sexual assaults, it wasn't long before I learned that my attacker was already known to the police for sexual violence and is a convicted sex offender. You could not begin to understand the horror I felt at hearing this."
Prosecutor Tom Little KC described Levy as "a predatory serial sexual attacker" who targeted vulnerable women engaged in street sex work to fund drug addictions. Levy declined to give evidence, but his legal team questioned whether the victims had been smothered, citing their drug use and unascertained causes of death.
Judge Mark Lucraft KC adjourned sentencing until August 12, remanding Levy into custody. Two Metropolitan Police officers are under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct over their handling of Levy.
