Authorities missed at least eleven chances to stop serial sex predator Simon Levy as he murdered two vulnerable women and left a third for dead.
Details of the shocking catalogue of failings can be revealed today after partially blind Levy, 40, was found guilty of killing Sheryl Wilkins, 39, and Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 53. He was also convicted by a jury at the Old Bailey of two counts of rape, assault occasioning grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent and non-fatal suffocation over a sex attack in January 2025, which the victim survived.
The "prolific predatory monster" was bailed four times during a year-long reign of terror despite being a convicted sex offender suspected of murder and charged with groping eight women. Judges were not told by Crown Prosecution Service lawyers that he was under investigation for Carmenza's killing when he missed two hearings after repeatedly breaking bail conditions. Levy, who faces a whole life sentence, murdered mum-of-three Sheryl in August last year, 13 days after the final court date.
Shocking Catalogue of Failings
Levy was first accused of a sex attack in September 2017 when he was arrested on suspicion of assault by penetration. He had allegedly targeted a woman at a party in Battersea, South London, but the CPS concluded there was insufficient evidence to charge him.
Levy was jailed in 2021 for three years for sexual assault and assault by penetration. He had groped one woman at the Notting Hill Carnival in 2018 after following the other victim from a gathering a few weeks earlier and repeatedly grabbing her. Police and prosecutors failed to review the first attack in light of the other two despite the striking similarities. Levy was released in February 2023, having been accused of sexually assaulting a female guard while in Brixton prison. He lived in approved premises in Walworth, South East London, for a month before moving in with his mum in Tottenham, North London.
Levy carried out his first Tube sex attack on the Jubilee line in October 2023. His victim reported the offence at the time and CCTV was recovered but he was not identified. Levy was interviewed by his probation officer on March 18, 2024, when he claimed he never paid for sex. In May 2024 he was accused of raping a woman in Tottenham and was recalled to prison to serve the rest of his 2021 sentence. Levy then lost his left eye after he was attacked. A source said the assault was suspected to have been carried out in retribution for the alleged rape. No arrests have been made in relation to the attack.
Levy was next arrested on November 4, 2024, on suspicion of sexually assaulting two women in separate attacks on the Central Line the month before. He denied the offences and was released by British Transport Police officers who claim they did not have enough evidence to charge him.
Levy was bailed until January 22 on condition he did not travel on the Central Line but delays in the investigation meant ID procedures were not requested for nearly two months after his arrest. That resulted in his bail being extended to April 16 last year, leaving him free to kill.
On January 21 Levy violently raped a trafficked sex worker near his home in the car park of a B&M store in Tottenham. The terrified victim, who can't be named, had lost consciousness after he jumped on her back, breaking her collarbone. Levy would murder Sheryl eight months later in the same spot.
The rape victim was arrested for an unrelated matter five days later when she told police she had been attacked by a Black man who she knew by sight. The victim, a homeless drug addict, correctly described to officers the house where he lived but police did not go to the address or identify Levy. She was unable to help with the investigation at the time due to suffering from drug withdrawal symptoms.
Missed Chances to Stop Him
While still on bail three months later, Levy murdered Colombian-born Carmenza, 53, on March 16, in a disused block of flats in Walworth, South East London. A pipe smeared with his blood was found next to the salsa-loving victim, also a sex worker, and his DNA was on her body.
Eleven days after the murder, Levy was visited by a police officer managing him on the Violent and Sex Offender Register (ViSOR). He lied to the PC claiming that he was homebound due to his eye injury and "mental health" issues. Two officers, a PC and a Sergeant, have been referred to the independent Office for Police Conduct over alleged failings in monitoring the convicted sex offender.
Levy was arrested on suspicion of Carmenza's murder three days later, on April 1. He answered "no comment" when asked about the attack. Carmenza had suffered a neck compression and facial injuries but her cause of death was deemed to be "unascertained".
Police failed to seize Levy's stolen Oyster card which showed he had been in the area at around the time of her murder. And phone data had captured a handset linked to him calling his mother at 6.39pm close to where Carmenza was found dead. Despite this evidence, police did not consult the CPS over whether he should be charged because of difficulties in ascertaining the cause of death. Levy, who was among five suspects arrested for the murder, was released under investigation.
Ten days later he was again identified on CCTV shortly after sexually assaulting another woman, this time on the Victoria Line. British Transport Police officers planned to arrest him on April 3 only to discover he had been detained and released by Met detectives over Carmenza's murder. His bail date for the BTP investigation was extended to May 1 and he was not arrested.
Levy was then identified over three further Tube sex attacks on April 7 and 26 and on May 1. He was detained on the day of the final incident, charged with five assaults and remanded into custody.
Levy was one of 18 cases that appeared at a "chaotic" Highbury Corner Magistrates' court on Saturday May 3 where he was released for a third time. No application was made to remand him despite BTP officers requesting that bail be opposed. They told the CPS that Levy was being investigated for murder and rape, adding he was a "danger to the public and at high-risk of re-offending".
A document sent to the prosecutor said: "Police have significant concerns that if granted bail, Levy will continue in his predatory sexual offending against female members of [the] public." Levy was bailed on condition he did not travel on the Tube at rush hour.
Five days later the police investigation into the January car park rape was closed without the victim having been spoken to. She had been unwilling to assist the investigation due to drug withdrawal symptoms but later gave evidence at the murder trial.
On June 20 Levy was detained for a fourth time, for yet more Tube sex offences, this time committed on April 8 and May 29 as well as breach of bail. He was then charged with eight separate sexual assaults on lone women on the Tube network and one breach of bail.
Levy appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates' court June 21 before JPs Jacqueline Scott, Marta Corti and Gerry Teague when he pleaded not guilty to the nine charges. Prosecutor Jyothi Somavarapu made an application for him to be remanded but sources said "not all relevant information was put before the court".
A document sent to the CPS by the BTP failed to mention he was under investigation for murder and rape. He was released for a fourth time with the same bail conditions. Magistrates do not record transcripts of their hearings so there is no record of what was said or how the JPs came to the decision. Levy then failed to turn up for a hearing at Inner London Crown Court on June 3 but no warrant was issued for his arrest after the prosecutor declined to request one. Again the judge was not told he was a murder and rape suspect.
On July 18 Levy again failed to appear at Inner London Crown Court after neither he, nor his solicitor, were made aware of the hearing date. Levy was scheduled for yet another appearance at the same court before judge Ian Darling on August 11 and again he failed to show. No warrant was requested or issued for his arrest. Once again the court was not told about the murder and rape investigations.
Levy murdered Sheryl 13 days later, on August 24. Her body was discovered behind a wall in the B&M carpark in Tottenham. The 39-year-old was found face down with 83 injuries to her face and head, upper body and arms and legs. Levy was identified by murder cops on September 3 and arrested two days later when he was finally remanded into custody. Detectives then uncovered phone evidence placing Levy close to where Carmenza was murdered. They also discovered a lost Oyster card he was using put him in the area on the afternoon of her death.
Impact and Apologies
In total he carried out 13 sex attacks between 2018 and 2025. Among them were ten women aged between 18 and 32 who were attacked on the Tube. Levy had denied two counts of murder, rape, grievous bodily harm with intent and non-fatal suffocation.
BTP Det Supt Peter Fulton said a DC had been removed from investigation work due to "incompetence". Mr Fulton apologised for the delay in bringing Levy to justice, saying: "It should have been done much quicker and much more efficiently."
Lisa Ramsarran, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS, apologised for failing not providing courts with relevant information when Levy was repeatedly bailed. She said: "Our actions fell short of the standards that victims, families and the public are entitled to expect. In particular, there were points where we could and should have taken a more robust approach to representations about bail, based on the information available. We recognise our responsibility and we are sorry for the shortcomings we have identified."
Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Kevin Southworth apologised to the victims and admitted there had been a "collective system failure". He said: "There's absolutely significant learning for all parties in this case. I say that not lightly, when we talk about learning, two people have lost their lives and others have had significant sexual offences at the hands of a prolific predatory monster. Obviously this has got to be a point of serious reflection for all of us."
Deniz Ugur, Deputy Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, said: "As countless inquiries and reviews of the police and justice system response to violence against women have found, there must be early intervention and prevention-focused responses, particularly regarding management of known serial offenders. The cost of not doing so is women losing their lives."
Ex-Met DCI David McKelvery said: "What message does this send out? Police have been talking about how seriously they take violence against women and girls and that's all it is, talk. Here's another example of a violent sex offender being allowed to carry on targeting women despite overwhelming evidence he was a serial abuser."
