Russian MMA Fighter Convicted After Barron Trump's Emergency Call
A Russian former mixed martial arts fighter has been found guilty of a violent assault on a woman who was a close friend of Barron Trump, the youngest son of US President Donald Trump. The shocking incident unfolded in a Canary Wharf apartment last January, with the attack being witnessed live via Facetime by the President's son, who then urgently contacted UK police.
The Terrifying Attack and Presidential Son's Response
Matvei Rumiantsev, a 22-year-old former MMA competitor, launched what prosecutors described as a "terrifying attack" on the 20-year-old woman at his east London residence. According to evidence presented at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Rumiantsev "flew into a rage" after noticing Barron Trump calling the woman on January 17, 2025.
The court heard dramatic details of how Rumiantsev picked up the Facetime call and deliberately turned the camera to face the victim before filming himself shoving her, calling her derogatory names, and kicking her in the stomach while she screamed. Barron Trump, who has largely been shielded from public life compared to his older siblings, was so alarmed by what he witnessed that he enlisted friends to help him contact British police from across the Atlantic.
The Urgent 999 Call That "Saved My Life"
Jurors were played audio of the 19-year-old's emergency call made just days before his father's presidential inauguration. In the recording, Barron Trump pleads with the operator: "I just got a call from a girl, you know. She's getting beat up." With clear urgency in his voice, he adds: "It's really an emergency, please."
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, testified via videolink that the call "was like a sign from God" and likely "saved my life." She described being slapped, punched, kicked and strangled during the assault, which left her with extensive bruising and missing a clump of hair.
Jealousy and Violent Temper
Prosecutor Serena Gates told the court that Rumiantsev's temper had "started to boil over" in autumn 2024, with jealousy specifically directed at the woman's friendship with Barron Trump. The 6ft 3in defendant was described as an "alpha male" who became particularly envious of her interactions with the 6ft 7in President's son.
"The assault continues – you have heard what the complainant said about ending up on the floor and the defendant kicking her in the ribs whilst she's lying on the floor," Ms Gates told jurors. She suggested Rumiantsev was trying to make the woman "understand not to contact Barron Trump by kicking her whilst she was on the floor."
Court Proceedings and Verdict
Rumiantsev denied all charges but was found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and perverting the course of justice. He was acquitted of one count of rape and intentional strangulation relating to the same date, and another count of rape and assault alleged to have occurred in November 2024.
In her closing argument, defence barrister Sasha Wass KC questioned what Barron Trump could have actually seen in the "five to seven seconds" of the Facetime call and described the complainant as a "wholly unreliable witness." She suggested the woman used her friendship with Trump as a "ruse" to provoke jealousy during what she called a "relationship full of dramas."
However, the jury ultimately convicted Rumiantsev, who now faces a substantial prison sentence. The case has highlighted both the international reach of domestic violence and the extraordinary circumstances in which a US President's son became involved in a British criminal investigation.
Police attended Rumiantsev's east London home in the early hours of January 18, 2025, following two 999 calls from the woman and the crucial emergency call from Barron Trump that brought the violent assault to authorities' attention.
