Yurii Muzyka, a 34-year-old Ukrainian man, was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison for stalking and murdering his ex-partner, Halyna Hoisan, in Greenwich, southeast London.. According to court proceedings, Muzyka used an Apple AirTag hidden on their daughter's scooter, Meta AI glasses, and spyware to monitor Hoisan after she began dating someone new. He stabbed her six times in the chest while their three-year-old daughter slept in a nearby room.

The victim's mother, Svitlana, sobbed in court, saying her life was destroyed forever, as reported by the court. 'Halyna was my only child and the closest person to me. On that day my life was destroyed forever,' she said. The case has sent a shockwave through domestic violence advocacy circles, raising urgent questions about the misuse of everyday technology.

The AirTag hidden on a daughter's scooter

Muzyka placed an Apple AirTag on the scooter he gave their daughter, allowing him to track Hoisan's movements even after she moved to Greenwich to escape him. As the prosecutor outlined, Muzyka left his home moments after Hoisan's date arrived, indicating he was monitoring her remotely via the tracker . the case highlights a growing trend: abusers using consumer tracking devices to bypass protective orders. advocates have long warned that such devices can be hidden in plain sight, and a non-molestation order issued just seven days before the murder failed to stop the surveillance. The source does not clarify whether Hoisan received any notifications from Apple's anti-stalking features, which rely on nearby iPhones to detect unknown AirTags.

Meta AI glasses as a surveillance tool

Beyond the AirTag, Muzyka used Meta's Ray-Ban AI glasses to record video of Hoisan's new flat, gathering intelligence on her living situation.. according to police evidence presented in court, the glasses were part of a broader arsenal that included spyware and searches for spy devices. The glasses have a privacy indicator light, but if the wearer covers it or the victim is not looking, recording can go undetected. This case underscores the vulnerability of victims to surreptitious surveillance. Meta has not publicly commented on this specific incident, and the source does not indicate whether the company was contacted about the misuse of its product.

The judge's assessment of control and jealousy

Judge Simon Mayo remarked that Muzyka's actions were driven by jealousy and a desire to control Hoisan even after the relationship ended, according to court reports. The court heard that Muzyka showed no remorse, writing in hospital after stabbing himself, 'I can't believe my partner have sex with another boy.' Detective Chief Inspector Mark Franklin called the murder 'an appalling act of cruelty.' The sentence requires Muzyka to serve at least 30 years before parole eligibility, but for the family, no sentence can undo the loss. The mother's testimony in court captured the human cost: 'Halyna was my only child.'

Open questions about enforcement and tech accountability

While Muzyka faces a long prison term, key questions remain unanswered. Why did the non-molestation order not trigger any follow-up by authorities? The source notes that the order was issued just seven days before the murder,but does not explain what monitoring, if any, took place. Additionally, the role of technology companies is left unexamined: Could Apple or Meta have detected the misuse and alerted law enforcement? The source does not address whether law enforcement requested data from these companies. Finally, what measures are in place to warn victims when spyware is installed on their devices? These gaps highlight a systemic failure to keep pace with tech-enabled domestic abuse.