Simon Levy convicted of double murder and rape
Simon Levy, a serial sex offender, has been convicted of murdering two women and raping another while on bail. The case highlighted police failings that allowed him to remain free before the attacks.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Simon Levy, a 40-year-old serial sex offender, has been convicted of murdering two women and raping a third in London while on bail for other sexual offences. He was later sentenced to a whole life order, meaning he will never be released from prison.
Levy was found guilty at the Old Bailey of the murders of Carmenza Valencia Trujillo, a 53-year-old grandmother from Colombia, and Cheryl Wilkins, a 39-year-old mother of four. He also raped a woman who survived and gave evidence at trial. The court heard that Levy targeted vulnerable women involved in street sex work, often in secluded areas of the capital.
The case exposed a series of failures by the Metropolitan Police, the British Transport Police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the courts. Levy was already a registered sex offender after being jailed in 2021 for sexual assaults. While on bail and under investigation, he continued to attack women, including a string of sexual assaults on public transport. He was arrested after the first murder but released, and then went on to kill again.
The Met admitted that Cheryl Wilkins's life could have been saved if they had acted sooner. The force also confirmed that Levy had been downgraded from high risk to medium risk just before the attacks. Two police officers are under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct for potential misconduct.
During sentencing, the judge, Mark Lucraft KC, told Levy: "You are clearly someone who ruthlessly exploits others for your own personal sexual satisfaction. You are someone who appears to have a morbid fascination with sex, rape and crime." He imposed a whole life order, meaning Levy will die in prison.
In court, the families of the victims read emotional impact statements. Carmenza's daughter said her mother came to the UK for a better life, while Cheryl's sister told Levy: "I hope you rot in prison." The rape survivor, who was trafficked to the UK, described him as a parasite.
The head of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley, acknowledged that the whole system had failed, saying: "The police were saying this guy is too dangerous to be on the streets, and between CPS and the courts, they kept bailing him." The CPS has apologised and promised to strengthen its approach in serious sexual offence cases.
Police are now appealing for any other potential victims of Levy to come forward, as they believe there may be more.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A detective sergeant is under investigation for misconduct and a constable for gross misconduct. | · | ||||||
| Levy was on bail for separate sex attacks on trains when he committed the murders. | · | · | |||||
| Levy was a previously convicted sex offender, with a record that included assaulting 11 women. | · | · | · | ||||
| The Crown Prosecution Service admitted it did not present all relevant evidence in a bail application. | · | · | · | ||||
| The Metropolitan Police referred itself to the police watchdog. | · | · | · | ||||
| Levy was arrested on suspicion of murder but released because the cause of death could not be determined. | · | · | · | · | |||
| Levy was downgraded from a high risk to a medium risk sex offender. | · | · | · | · | |||
| Police are appealing for other potential victims to come forward. | · | · | · | · | |||
| Simon Levy was found guilty of murdering two women and raping a third. | · | · | · | · | |||
| The Metropolitan Police closed a rape case after deciding the victim was reluctant to engage. | · | · | · | · | |||
| A formal statement from the rape survivor was not taken for months. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| After being released on bail for murder, Levy committed six more sexual assaults and a second murder. | · | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Channel 5's coverage focused on the human tragedy, showing pictures of the victims and emphasising the police and CPS failures that allowed Levy to remain free. It also highlighted the emotional impact on families and the survivor.
- “It's hard to believe that the number of failures that led to that happening.”
- “You are clearly someone who ruthlessly exploits others for your own personal sexual satisfaction.”
BBC One West gave detailed, serious coverage of the systemic failures, including the Met's decision to downgrade Levy's risk status and the missed opportunities to stop him. It also focused on the survivors' testimony and the wider implications for trust in policing.
- “A serial sex offender who was being monitored by the Metropolitan Police has been convicted of murdering two women and violently raping a third woman.”
- “the Met failed to actually class it as a murder”
Channel 4 focused on the timeline of Levy's criminal history and the specific failures by British Transport Police and the CPS. It highlighted that he was on bail at the time of the murders and questioned why his dangerous crimes were allowed to escalate.
- “Simon Levy now faces whole life prison sentences after he was found guilty of murdering two women and raping a third woman.”
- “the question, then, is why his dangerous crimes were able to escalate.”
GB News adopted a more critical and opinionated tone, describing Levy as a 'jobless loner' and blaming 'disastrous police, prosecution and court decisions'. It also used the case to attack the Metropolitan Police's broader competence, with panel members calling the force 'rotten to its core'.
- “A convicted sex offender described as a jobless loner has been found guilty of murdering two women, raping a third and sexually assaulting others on public transport.”
- “I don't see any good in the Met.”
Sky News provided a straightforward, factual account of the case, focusing on the timeline of failures and the police watchdog investigation. It stressed that Levy was on bail for ten sexual assaults at the time of the murders.
- “Two Metropolitan Police officers are being investigated by the police watchdog over concerns that they failed to appropriately deal with a man who went on to murder two women.”
- “How was such a prolific offender left free to commit such horrendous crimes despite being monitored by the authorities?”
ITV1's coverage was emotive and focused on the 'litany of failures' by multiple agencies, as well as the victims' families' grief. It also highlighted the survivor's courage and the broader question of women's faith in the criminal justice system.
- “Women were failed at every level and while those subjected to Levy's sexual assaults were left waiting for justice, he was allowed bail.”
- “a catastrophic series of authority failings”
BBC News emphasised the ongoing appeal for other potential victims and the need for a major review. It included an exclusive interview with a woman assaulted by Levy eight years ago, highlighting her sense of betrayal and the personal impact of the failures.
- “Police are urging anyone who believes they may have been a victim of the convicted sex offender and murderer Simon Levy to come forward.”
- “He's evil. My instincts were right. My instincts not to go and get on trains have always been right then because I just think to myself, he's been roaming loose.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.