A registered sex offender who was free on bail despite being accused of rape has been found guilty of murdering two women, raping another and carrying out a series of violent attacks that have prompted admissions of serious failings by police and prosecutors.
Simon Levy, 40, of Tottenham, north London, was convicted of two counts of murder, two counts of rape, one count of grievous bodily harm and one count of intentional suffocation following a trial at the Old Bailey. He is due to be sentenced on Wednesday and faces the possibility of a whole-life prison term.
The case has exposed what authorities have described as catastrophic failures within the criminal justice system, with Levy remaining at liberty despite escalating allegations of serious sexual violence.
In January 2025, Levy strangled a woman unconscious before raping her in a London car park, leaving her with a broken collarbone after placing his full weight on her neck. The victim immediately reported the attack, identified Levy as her attacker and told police where he lived. However, she was not formally interviewed until after he had gone on to commit two murders.
Two months later, Levy murdered 54-year-old Carmenza Valencia Trujillo, whose body was discovered in the stairwell of a derelict building on the Aylesbury Estate in Peckham on 17 March. Despite being arrested alongside six others during the investigation, he was released under investigation on 1 April.
On 24 August, the body of 39-year-old Sheryl Wilkins was found in the same Tottenham car park where the earlier rape had taken place. Levy had failed to appear in court two days before her body was discovered.
Jurors heard Levy had been a registered sex offender before the murders. He was convicted in 2021 for sexually assaulting two women during separate incidents in 2018 before being released from prison in 2023.
Earlier this year he was separately convicted of 11 further sexual assaults, including attacks on ten women travelling on the London Underground and the sexual assault of a prison officer while in custody. Prosecutors said he concealed his hand beneath clothing while assaulting women on Tube trains before claiming he had simply lost his balance.
Following the verdicts, the Metropolitan Police, British Transport Police and the Crown Prosecution Service all acknowledged failings in their handling of Levy.
The Crown Prosecution Service admitted relevant information regarding bail was not presented to the court and accepted it should have made stronger submissions opposing his release. It apologised to the victims and their families and said it was strengthening training, case oversight and procedures relating to bail in serious sexual offence cases.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct confirmed a gross misconduct notice has been served on one Metropolitan Police constable and a misconduct notice issued to a detective sergeant. British Transport Police also confirmed two officers have been moved from operational duties because of their handling of the investigation.
Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones described the case as “deeply concerning”, saying the fact Levy was able to continue offending after being released by police and the courts raised “serious questions that require urgent answers”.
Investigators also uncovered extensive digital evidence after Levy’s arrest. Police found internet searches relating to notorious sex offenders and murder cases, alongside folders titled “my sex record”, documents about sex workers, sexual positions and chat-up lines, and repeated searches for murder stories between October 2024 and September 2025.
During probation visits, Levy repeatedly told officers he rarely left home, claiming poor eyesight and mental health kept him indoors. He denied using sex workers and claimed he spent most of his time watching YouTube and films.
Police believe there could be additional victims and continue to urge anyone who believes they may have been assaulted by Levy to come forward.