Get you up to speed: Stalker murdered ex-partner after tracking her with device hidden in child’s scooter | News UK
Yurii Muzyka, 34, has been jailed for at least 30 years for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Halyna Hoisan, 29, in her Greenwich flat on August 27, where he stabbed her six times despite their young daughter being present. Muzyka, who had previously been subject to a non-molestation order, forced entry into Hoisan’s home while she was on a date with another man.
Yurii Muzyka had recently purchased the knife used in the attack just hours before the incident, and evidence indicated he had conducted internet searches on vulnerable areas of the human body. The non-molestation order had been secured by Halyna Hoisan only seven days prior to her death, highlighting a critical failure in protective measures.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Franklin condemned Halyna Hoisan’s murder as an “appalling act of cruelty” and affirmed the WTXpolitan Police’s commitment to addressing violence against women and girls. In a broader societal effort, the campaign “This Is Not Right,” launched by WTX in partnership with Women’s Aid, aims to combat the ongoing epidemic of violence against women.
What remains unclear — The exact circumstances surrounding Muzyka’s obsession with stalking and harassing Ms Hoisan prior to the attack remain insufficiently detailed.
Stalker sentenced to 30 years for murdering ex-partner in Greenwich flat
A controlling abuser who stalked his former girlfriend using a tracker hidden in their young daughter’s scooter and stabbed her to death has been jailed for at least 30 years.
Yurii Muzyka, 34, was subject to a non-molestation order when he forced his way into Halyna Hoisan’s flat in Greenwich where she had been on a date with another man on August 27.
He attacked the 29-year-old, stabbing her six times in the chest, despite the presence of their child, who was only days from her fourth birthday.
The Old Bailey heard how Ms Hoisan, known as Lina, had managed to move away from Muzyka following what was described as a ‘turbulent’ relationship lasting several years.
But he continued to stalk and harass her.
Lina had reported him to the police for violence, harassment and stalking, and he, in turn, had made counter-allegations against her, jurors were told.
After moving to Greenwich to get away from him, Lina found a tracker device in her daughter’s scooter after Muzyka told her he knew which park she went to.
She handed the device into the police and also reported that he had come to her home and stolen her phone.
Last August, Muzyka had called her Ukrainian mother, Svitlana, in Poland and threatened to kill Lina.
She had secured the non-molestation order just seven days before she was murdered.
This Is Not Right
On November 25, 2024 WTX launched This Is Not Right, a campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women.
With the help of our partners at Women’s Aid, This Is Not Right aims to shine a light on the sheer scale of this national emergency.
You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at vaw@metro.co.uk.
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The Met Police said Muzyka ‘became fixated with attacking her’ in that short period.
The court heard how Ms Hoisan had just begun a new relationship and was on a second date with a man when Muzyka burst into her home and attacked her with a knife.
He had paid £34.99 for it just hours earlier and the box was found on his table next to a copy of the non-molestation order.
CCTV showed he left home to launch the fatal attack ‘almost immediately’ after Lina and her date arrived at her flat, suggesting he had been monitoring her movements still.
The pattern of stab wounds he went on to inflict ‘showed evidence of his research as they were calculated to cause the most damage’, police said.
On his arrest two days later, he told officer as if he was somehow a victim: ‘I can’t believe my partner have sex with another boy.’
Investigators found information on his mobile phone showing he had become fixated with spyware, masks, knives and human anatomy.
He had searched these topics repeatedly and had 10 images of spyware, 44 of masks, 186 of the chest and heart and 261 knives.
Muzyka had denied murder and claimed he lost control, which was rejected by a jury.
Sentencing on Friday, Judge Simon Mayo KC said it was 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.
‘In killing Halyna, you robbed her young daughter of her mother just days before her fourth birthday.
‘You knew your child would be present in the flat when you arrived. That knowledge did not deter you. That is a matter of particular gravity.
‘I am sure your actions were driven by jealousy, resentment and determination to exert control over Halyna even after your relationship had come to an end.’
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 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.’