Man sentenced to life for murdering ex‑partner in London

A man has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering his former partner in her London home, a killing the judge described as a planned and sustained attack driven by jealousy and a desire for control. Yurii Muzyka, 34, was ordered to serve a minimum of 30 years for stabbing Halyna Hoisan, 29, to death in her Greenwich flat on August 27 last year while their three-year-old daughter was present.

Muzyka was found guilty of murder and possession of a blade following a trial at the Old Bailey. The court heard he forced his way into Hoisan’s home while she was on a second date with another man and stabbed her six times in the chest with a knife purchased less than six hours earlier. Evidence presented at trial showed Muzyka had conducted internet searches to identify the most vulnerable areas of the human body, including the chest, shortly before the attack.

Sentencing Muzyka on Friday, Judge Simon Mayo KC said the defendant knew his child would be in the flat and that this knowledge did not deter him. The judge said Muzyka’s actions were driven by jealousy, resentment and a determination to exert control over Hoisan even after their relationship had ended. He described the attack...