CPS chief apologises for bail failures in case of serial rapist-murderer
The director of the Crown Prosecution Service has admitted that prosecutors failed to tell a court about ongoing investigations into Simon Levy before he was granted bail, allowing him to murder two women. He has apologised and announced extra hiring.
The head of England and Wales’ prosecution service has apologised after admitting that a court deciding whether to grant bail to Simon Levy should have been informed that he was being investigated for rape and murder. Levy, 40, received a rare whole-life sentence this week for the murders of Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl Wilkins, along with the rape of another woman.
At the time of the murders, Levy was on bail and under police monitoring. He killed Valencia-Trujillo, 53, in March 2025, and Wilkins five months later – the day before her 40th birthday. Wilkins was found with 83 injuries or marks on her body.
In an interview with LBC on Thursday, Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson stated that the agency should have provided the court with details of the ongoing investigations before Levy was released on bail. “I absolutely accept that the court should have had that information, and I’m very sorry indeed,” he said.
Parkinson explained that both bail hearings took place on Saturdays, when prosecutors faced an incredibly busy list. While the details of the ongoing investigations were in the system, the prosecutors were not “aware of that information” and thus did not present it to the court. He acknowledged that it is unknown whether the outcome would have differed, but the court should have had the chance to consider it.
When asked whether he believed Wilkins would still be alive if Levy had been denied bail, Parkinson responded that if Levy had been remanded in custody, he would not have had the opportunity to commit the crime.
The CPS director said additional resources are being provided to prosecutors to minimise the risk of recurrence, with job offer letters being sent out this week.
The comments follow criticism from Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, who questioned why Levy was released from jail despite having sexually assaulted a female prison officer. Parkinson responded that the public does not want different parts of the criminal justice system “taking shots at each other,” but rather wants to know that lessons have been learned and action is being taken.
Levy was not charged with the prison assault until October 2025. By that time, he had attacked 13 more women, killing two of them.
