Daniel Levy jailed for life after second killing in Lambeth

Daniel Levy, 48, has pleaded guilty to the murder of Abdul Kaleem Shaik, 41, in a flat on Vauxhall’s residential streets on New Year’s Eve. Levy stabbed Shaik in the neck before walking into Bishopsgate police station and telling officers, 'It’s happened again.'

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that officers were alerted shortly after 8pm on 1 January 2026. Levy had already confessed to the killing. When police arrived at the flat, they found Shaik’s body on a makeshift bed, with blood on his chest, neck and face. A knife with blood on the blade was recovered from the property.

Previous conviction and mental health history

Levy had previously been convicted of killing his grandmother in July 2000. He stabbed her and set her body on fire. In October 2001, he was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order after being found guilty of manslaughter by diminished responsibility and arson, as reported by the *Evening Standard*.

The court heard that Levy had absconded from a secure mental health unit in 2003. He was later recalled to hospital in 2013 after expressing thoughts about harming his parents. Despite being required to maintain contact with his mental health team, Levy had reportedly expressed scepticism about his need for medication, which was administered by injection under supervision.

Levy’s account of the killing

During a police interview on 2 January 2026, Levy gave a detailed account of the killing. He told officers he had known Shaik for years and had allowed him to stay in his flat. Levy said Shaik had become 'very depressed' and was not coping well with his mental health.

Prosecutor Peter Ratliff told an earlier hearing that Levy claimed he had been considering killing Shaik for some time. He said Levy believed he was helping Shaik by ending his life and securing his passage to heaven. Levy described stabbing Shaik in the neck in the early hours of 1 January, then leaving the flat to pray at a mosque before handing himself in to police.

What happens next

Levy was remanded in custody after pleading guilty at the Old Bailey on 15 July 2026. Judge Lynn Tayton KC ruled that he was fit to enter his plea. Defence barrister Michael Holland KC asked for information on Shaik’s mental state to determine whether Levy’s belief that his actions were 'akin to assisted suicide' was rational.

Levy will be sentenced on 9 September 2026. The court has not yet confirmed whether he will receive a life sentence or a hospital order. The judge indicated that Levy would receive credit for his guilty plea, which he entered as his trial was about to begin.