Man charged with murder of second woman

An investigation was launched after a post-mortem examination was unable to determine a cause of death of Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo in March

A man accused of murdering a woman in August has been charged with murdering a second woman found dead five months earlier, police have said.

Simon Levy, 40, who is due to appear in court for the murder of Sheryl Wilkins, in Tottenham, in north London has now been charged with murdering Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, who died in Walworth, south-east London, in March.

The 40-year-old also faces charges of rape, grievous bodily harm (GBH) and non-fatal strangulation of another woman in January.

He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday over Ms Valencia-Trujillo's death.

Simon Levy, who is blind in one eye, was permitted to wear sunglasses during a hearing in September

Ms Valencia-Trujillo, who was from Colombia, was found dead in the stairwell of a building on the Aylesbury Estate in south London on 17 March.

Mr Levy was arrested in connection with her death but was not charged at the time.

On 24 August 39-year-old Sheryl Wilkins was found dead in Tottenham, and two weeks later Mr Levy was charged with her murder.

Mr Levy is also due to appear at the Old Bailey on Wednesday for a plea and trial preparation hearing for the murder of Ms Wilkins.

The Metropolitan Police has appealed for anyone with information relevant to the investigation to come forward.

Cdr Clair Kelland, who leads the force's public protection team, said it was a complex investigation and the force was "working closely with partners across relevant boroughs, including Haringey and Southwark, to encourage reporting and raise awareness of the support we can provide to victim-survivors".