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Four-year sentence for assault and witness tampering
A 23-year-old Russian national has been sentenced to four years in prison after assaulting a woman in London and later attempting to pressure her into dropping charges. Matvei Rumiantsev received two years for the attack and an additional two years for perverting the course of justice by writing to the victim from jail, urging her to withdraw her allegations.
Barron Trump's call to UK police triggers investigation
The case came to light after Barron Trump, the youngest son of former U.S. President Donald Trump, contacted British authorities in January 2025. During a video call with the victim, Trump witnessed a brief but violent altercation and immediately reported it to UK police from the United States.
According to a transcript of the emergency call released by the Crown Prosecution Service, Trump told the operator, "I'm calling from the US, uh I just got a call from a girl, you know, she's getting beat up." When pressed for details, he added that he had met the woman on social media but insisted the assault was the priority.
In a follow-up email to police in May 2025, Trump described the incident as "very brief indeed but indeed prevalent." He recounted seeing a shirtless man with dark hair for about a second before the camera flipped to show the victim being struck while crying. The entire interaction lasted between five and seven seconds, he said.
Prosecution argues jealousy motivated the attack
Prosecutors told Snaresbrook Crown Court that Rumiantsev had grown jealous of the victim's friendship with Trump. The trial heard that the two had been drinking together on the evening of 17 January 2025 and into the early hours of the next day. The assault occurred on 18 January, with the victim suffering blows to the face.
During cross-examination, Rumiantsev acknowledged feeling jealous but denied that it was the primary motive. "What I was really unhappy about was that she was frankly leading him [Trump] on," he told the court. When pressed by Judge Mr Justice Bennathan KC about whether he had attacked the woman, Rumiantsev replied, "I am being portrayed as a jealous person who can lose his temper due to jealousy. I want to just make clear that her actions towards him was wrong and it was not fair." He later admitted, "I was jealous to some extent."
Jury acquits on more serious charges
Rumiantsev was found not guilty of two counts of rape and intentional strangulation, as well as another charge of rape and assault alleged to have taken place in November 2024. The jury was cautioned by the judge not to rely solely on Trump's account, as he had not testified under oath or faced cross-examination.
The defendant has already served two years in custody, which will be deducted from his four-year sentence.
Victim's identity protected
The woman at the center of the case cannot be named for legal reasons. Her testimony, along with other evidence, played a key role in securing the conviction on the assault and witness tampering charges.
