A controlling abuser who stalked his former girlfriend using a hidden tracker in their young daughter’s scooter has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 30 years for her murder.
Yurii Muzyka, 34, was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday after a jury convicted him of murdering Halyna Hoisan, 29, known as Lina, in her Greenwich flat last August. The court heard he forced his way into the property while she was on a second date with another man, stabbed her six times in the chest, and then filmed a selfie video beside her dying body.
Judge Simon Mayo KC described the killing as a “planned and sustained” attack on a “much-loved” mother in her own home. He told Muzyka: “You stabbed her six times to the chest using a knife that you had purchased less than six hours earlier. Shortly beforehand, you conducted internet searches directed at identifying the most vulnerable areas of the human body, including the chest. I am sure you intended to kill her.”
The judge added that the presence of the couple’s three‑year‑old daughter, who was days from her fourth birthday, was a matter of “particular gravity”. He said Muzyka’s actions were driven by “jealousy, resentment and determination to exert control over Halyna even after your relationship had come to an end”.
Stalking and surveillance
Ms Hoisan had ended what the court was told was a “turbulent” relationship years earlier and moved to Greenwich to escape Muzyka. But he continued to stalk and harass her. She had previously reported him to the police for violence, harassment and stalking, and he had made counter‑allegations against her, jurors heard.
Just seven days before her murder, Ms Hoisan secured a non‑molestation order against Muzyka. Breaching such an order is a criminal offence carrying a potential prison sentence of up to five years. But the Metropolitan Police said Muzyka “became fixated with attacking her” in that short period.
Ms Hoisan discovered a tracker device hidden in her daughter’s scooter after Muzyka told her he knew which park she visited. She handed the device to the police and also reported that he had broken into her home and stolen her phone. Last August, he phoned her Ukrainian mother, Svitlana, in Poland and threatened to kill her daughter.
Extensive premeditation: spyware, masks and anatomy searches
Investigators who analysed Muzyka’s mobile phone uncovered a pattern of chilling online behaviour that demonstrated careful planning. His searches repeatedly focused on spyware, masks, knives and human anatomy. Officers found 10 images of spyware, 44 images of masks, 186 images of the chest and heart, and 261 images of knives.
The use of a tracking device on a child’s scooter to monitor a former partner’s movements is a form of technology‑facilitated abuse – an illegal act of coercive control that police say is a growing pattern in domestic abuse cases.
On the day of the murder, Muzyka bought a knife for £34.99. CCTV footage showed he left his home and launched the fatal attack “almost immediately” after Ms Hoisan and her date arrived at her flat, suggesting he had been monitoring her movements. The knife box was later found on his table next to a copy of the non‑molestation order.
He also recorded several videos on his phone, telling his mother he “just can’t bear it” and accusing his ex‑partner of “sleeping around”. After stabbing her six times in the chest, he took photographs and a selfie video next to her body, and sent a separate video message to his mother.
Police noted that the pattern of stab wounds “showed evidence of his research as they were calculated to cause the most damage”.
When arrested two days later, Muzyka told officers: “I can’t believe my partner have sex with another boy” – speaking as if he were the victim.
‘I still cannot believe she is gone’
During the sentencing hearing, Ms Hoisan’s mother, Svitlana, became angry and tearful as she addressed Muzyka in Ukrainian in court. In her victim impact statement, she said: “The death of my daughter has had a profound impact on me. I cannot comprehend how one person can do something like this to another human being. I still cannot believe she is gone. I constantly think how much she suffered and the fear she must have experienced before her death.”
Muzyka hung his head in the dock and appeared to wipe away tears.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Franklin of the Metropolitan Police said: “Halyna’s murder was an appalling act of cruelty. Muzyka robbed a child of her devoted mother and parents of a loving daughter. Detectives worked tirelessly to bring Muzyka to justice and the successful conviction highlights the Met’s commitment to bringing dangerous men to justice and tackling violence against women and girls.”
The case has renewed attention on the scale of stalking and domestic abuse in the UK. According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, approximately one in five women and one in 12 men have experienced stalking in their lifetime, with perpetrators often being ex‑partners. In Greenwich, domestic violence remains the most reported violent crime; in April 2025, local police responded to 13 incidents. The Metropolitan Police has reported a 71% increase in arrests and charges for violence against women and girls offences in London over the past year, with rape cases leading to charges more than doubling.
