Families describe 'unimaginable loss' caused by killer and rapist Simon Levy

The families of two murder victims and a rape survivor have described the impact double killer and rapist Simon Levy has had on their lives and the "unimaginable loss" he has caused.

The 40-year-old was jailed for life on Wednesday for killing Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 53, in March 2025 and 39-year-old Sheryl Wilkins five months later. Earlier that year, he raped a third woman in the same Tottenham car park where Wilkins was later found dead.

At the Old Bailey on Wednesday, Judge Mark Lucraft KC sentenced Levy to a whole life order, meaning he will never be released.

The sentence comes after the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) apologised over a series of disastrous decisions that left him free to roam the streets.

Levy killed Wilkins on 24 August 2025.

The Met admitted that Wilkins' death could have been prevented, had the justice system taken Levy off the streets sooner. The force has also apologised to her family for any role it had played in her death.

Sheryl's mother, Mary Wilkins, who was in court for the sentencing, had her statement read out for her.

Her statement began with: "There will never be enough words to explain what it feels like to lose a child."

Levy was directly addressed: "You, Simon Levy, have completely destroyed our lives. You have done this before and wouldn't have stopped.

"Our Sheryl has ended your chances of hurting anyone else, she lost her life to do this, but we truly believe Sheryl has saved countless women from being subjected to your disgusting and horrendous acts.

"I hope you never walk the streets again as you are a threat to all women."

The court also heard Mary describe the final phone call she made to her daughter.

"The last time I spoke to Sheryl was the day before you took her life. She rang me, just as she did every day. We had our conversation, and at the end she said, 'Mum, you are the crème de la crème'.

"That was just typical of the kind of things she used to say to me. I told her I loved her three times, because that was what we always did. She said it back three times.

"We said goodbye, stay safe and speak tomorrow. But tomorrow never came."

She said those words "will stay with me for the rest of my life", adding that she was "grateful that my last conversation with our daughter was filled with love".

She added: "Sheryl's life mattered."

Her mother also described her anguish over her daughter's suffering in her final moments of life.

"The thought of what Sheryl must have felt in her final moments is something I struggle to put into words.

"It hurts my soul to think how scared and frightened she must have been.

"She was vulnerable, and you took advantage of that."

Mary added: "Sheryl was a carer and was the kindest, most helpful, loving soul. She was selfless. She had so much love to give to other people."

Wilkins was murdered the day before her 40th birthday, which she "should have celebrated", the court heard.

"She had so many hopes and dreams. She should have had so many more years ahead of her," she added.

Mary said that Wilkins' father was now a "broken man", and their whole family, including Wilkins' four children, had been shattered by her death.

Wilkins' sister, Lindsey Hicks, read out her own statement from the witness box in front of the family members, investigating police officers, the judge, members of the jury, journalists, and Levy, who sat emotionless in the dock.

"This is all because of you Simon Levy and what you took from us," she said.

"But know this, you lose.

"We get to leave here today knowing we will keep Sheryl alive by sharing memories about her and living for her.

"We will continue to live as a loving family through our loss, supporting each other. You don't get to take that away."

She added: "We should have been growing old together like sisters do and be there to support each other.

"Instead, I'm having to realise that one day in the near future I will be older than my big sister."

Levy killed Valencia-Trujillo on 17 March 2025.

Her body was found a day after he killed her in the stairwell of a condemned block of flats near Old Kent Road.

Valencia-Trujillo's daughter, Nazly Fuenmayor Valencia, then took the stand and tearfully read out an emotional statement.

"This has turned our worlds upside down," she said for herself and her younger brother.

"We've been living a nightmare you can't wake up from; we don't know why she was taken from us."

She added: "Our mum was a beautiful woman, both inside and out. Her kindness, warmth, and loving spirit touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.

"My mum came to this country to give her children a better life and for safety. Instead, her life was taken so cruelly."

Her brother recently became a dad and Fuenmayor Valencia described her mother's excitement of becoming a grandmother.

"This was all robbed from us in a split second," she said.

Levy had been arrested by police as his DNA was on Valencia-Trujillo's body, but he was released under investigation.

Her death was not treated as murder until over five months later, after the death of Wilkins, and nor were their deaths linked to Levy.

"For all that time, we had no mum and nowhere to grieve or take flowers to," she said tearfully.

Fuenmayor Valencia spoke of how much her mother had loved their family dog, Crystal, who died nine months later "because she couldn't cope without her".

She added: "I'm very proud I look like my mum and we both carry her care and her love, and we will take forward her love for family and putting other people first."

A final statement was read out by the prosecution, written by the surviving woman, who Levy violently raped in January 2025 before going on to murder both women.

At the beginning of Levy's trial in June, she gave evidence in court.

"I hope that my humiliation, my reliving my hell, my truth - I hope this has given them a voice too," she wrote.

She said she had known Wilkins, who she said was "a good person".

The court heard the survivor was a classical pianist and music made her "feel alive". She was trafficked into this country more than 10 years ago and said she had been abused "every day for years".

When Levy violently attacked and raped her, she was homeless and says she was with him that night "because of addiction".

Levy broke her collarbone and smothered her until she fell unconscious.

"He took away my soul that night, and he took away my dignity," she said.

"Any emotion you can imagine as a human being he took away from me."

Levy, "the monster", she said, "chooses girls he thinks won't speak to police".

She added: "I knew I had to go [to court] because he thinks I wouldn't be brave.

"I also didn't want any other girls to be attacked by this monster, he is a rapist."

The woman had reported the rape to police on 25 January 2025, days after the attack, while she was being arrested by officers for breaching a community order. She also told officers she needed hospital treatment for her injuries.

She gave them enough information to identify Levy, but the police did not take a statement and dropped the investigation after six months, after concluding she was reluctant to engage.

Levy was only charged with attacking her after he had been charged with two counts of murder.

"Nobody ever listened to me," she wrote in her statement.

During the trial, she was shown footage from a police interview.

In her statement she wrote that it made her "sad" being made to watch how police had spoken to her "like a child".

"I talk to people who can help me and want to try to forget this monster, he cannot take my strength or more of my life", she wrote.

"I will play music again and smile."

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