Senior British officials have admitted that opportunities were missed to prevent the murder of Sheryl Wilkins by a registered sex offender, Simon Levy. An investigation by the British Transport Police (BTP) into their handling of the case has revealed significant delays and procedural shortcomings that allowed Levy to continue attacking women.
Levy's first known victim was attacked on a central London Tube train. He sexually assaulted her by leaning on her and attempting to force his fingers through her clothing. The victim reported the assault to the BTP, and CCTV footage of Levy was available, but he was not identified by police at the time. He was only linked to this case two years later, after further attacks had occurred.
Approximately a year after the initial Tube assault, Levy attacked three more women in quick succession. One of these victims filmed Levy sexually assaulting another woman in the same carriage and immediately reported it to the BTP, providing the footage. Levy assaulted a third woman a week later. Despite being questioned and denying the offenses, BTP officers stated they did not have enough evidence to charge him, and he was released on bail.
The subsequent BTP investigation was marked by delays. Identity parades were not arranged for weeks, and the police did not consult the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for six months. When the BTP finally approached the CPS in May 2025, they requested an emergency charging decision overnight because Levy had been arrested again and they intended to bring him to court the next day. This was described as highly unusual, given that the BTP had been aware of the initial offenses for half a year.
Assistant Chief Constable Charlie Doyle of the BTP acknowledged the failures in a statement, saying, "It is clear that opportunities to expedite the investigation were missed and we have amended our procedures to address these issues to ensure that repeat offenders are dealt with expeditiously and that linked offences are prioritised more effectively."