Ukrainian Yurii Muzyka was jailed for life with a minimum term of 30 years.
A jealous man has been jailed for at least 30 years for fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend after stalking her with a tracker in their young daughter’s scooter.
Ukrainian Yurii Muzyka was subject to a non-molestation order when he forced his way into 29-year-old Halyna Hoisan’s flat in Greenwich, south London, on August 27.
Undeterred by the presence of their three-year-old daughter, Muzyka attacked her with a knife, stabbing her six times in the chest.
Muzyka took photographs of Ms Hoisan as she lay dying, then plunged the knife into his stomach after a man she had been on a second date with ran out to alert the police.
Following an Old Bailey trial, Muzyka, 34, from New Malden, south London, was found guilty of murder and possession of a blade and was jailed for life with a minimum term of 30 years.
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.”
The judge said Muzyka had entered his former partner’s home armed with a knife and metal chisel using “stealth” and “subterfuge”.
He noted the “degrading and intrusive” act of photographing his victim as she lay dying and said a video in which Ms Hoisin’s last moments could be heard caused “incalculable” distress to her family.
Previously, the court heard how Ms Hoisan, known as Lina, had been in a “turbulent” relationship with the defendant for several years.
She reported him to the police for violence, harassment and stalking and he, in turn, made counter-allegations against her, jurors were told.
After moving to Greenwich to get away from him, Ms Hoisan found a tracker device in her daughter’s scooter after the defendant 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, the defendant had called her Ukrainian mother, Svitlana, in Poland and threatened to kill Ms Hoisan.
Seven days before her murder, the victim secured a non-molestation order against Muzyka.
On the day of the killing, Muzyka bought a knife and recorded a number of videos on his phone in which he told his mother he “just can’t bear it” and accused his ex-partner of “sleeping around”.
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.
After the killing, the defendant was taken to hospital where he underwent surgery for his wound.
On his arrest two days later, he told police: “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.
The defendant had denied murder and claimed he lost control, which was rejected by a jury.
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.”
The defendant hung his head in the dock and appeared to wipe away tears.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Franklin, from Scotland Yard, 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.”
