Judge Praises Barron Trump at UK Sentencing Hearing
AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File
A Russian national, Matvei Rumiantsev, 23, was sentenced to four years in prison on Friday for assaulting a woman in London, an attack that was witnessed over a video call by President Trump’s youngest son, Barron.
Rumiantsev was convicted on January 28 by a jury of causing bodily harm but was cleared of rape and choking charges. He also received a conviction for perverting the course of justice after sending the victim a letter from jail urging her to withdraw her allegations.
During sentencing at Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London, Justice Joel Bennathan described Rumiantsev as “totally unrepentant” and “a man given to jealousy.” The judge noted that Rumiantsev continued to place blame on the victim and lacked insight or empathy, according to the Associated Press.
The assault took place on January 18 of last year, when Rumiantsev, intoxicated at the time, attacked the woman after becoming jealous of her online friendship with Barron Trump. The woman, who has been granted anonymity under UK law, had met Trump through social media. During the attack, Rumiantsev, a former MMA fighter, took a FaceTime call from Barron Trump on the woman’s phone and turned the camera to show her crying on the floor.
From the United States, Barron Trump immediately contacted London police, urging them to respond. “It’s really an emergency … I just got a call from a girl, she’s getting beat up,” he told the operator, according to reports. Officers quickly went to the address and arrested Rumiantsev.
At trial, Rumiantsev admitted feeling jealous of Trump but claimed he also sympathized with him, believing his girlfriend was leading the president’s son on.
The defense suggested that Barron Trump had little time to witness the attack during the video call and questioned whether the woman had used her connection to him to provoke jealousy. They described the relationship as “full of dramas,” according to statements by defense lawyer Sasha Wass.
Justice Bennathan praised Barron Trump for his quick action. “Despite being in the United States, he ensured emergency services were contacted and accurately described what he saw,” the judge said, according to Sky News. The judge also noted that Rumiantsev will be subject to automatic deportation once his sentence is complete.
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