Serial UK sex attacker jailed for life for double murder, rape after police failings

Simon Levy, 40, was sentenced to a whole-life order for the murders of Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl Wilkins, and for rape and serious assault of a third woman. Police and prosecutors failed to stop his escalating spree despite multiple arrests. The Met referred itself to the watchdog for downgrading his risk level.

Simon Levy, 40, was sentenced to a whole-life order on Wednesday for the murders of Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl Wilkins, and for rape and serious assault of a third woman. The judge, Mark Lucraft, described Levy as someone who ruthlessly exploits others for personal sexual satisfaction. Levy was convicted last week of the murders, which occurred in March and August 2025, and of the rape and assault in January 2025. Police had arrested Levy several times for sexual assaults on rush-hour trains before his arrest for Valencia-Trujillo's murder in April 2025, but he was released and went on to assault five more women before killing Wilkins. The Metropolitan Police admitted it could have done better, and its chief, Mark Rowley, said the justice system needs to do its job better. The Met has referred itself to the police watchdog for downgrading Levy to a medium-risk offender in 2024. London Mayor Sadiq Khan called for a multi-agency review, saying he was appalled by the crimes and the failures across multiple agencies. Harriet Wistrich of the Centre for Women's Justice said the failures provide terrifying evidence that the criminal justice system is in a state of collapse.