Barron Trump praised by UK judge for phoning 999 to report attack on friend
Barron Trump praised by UK judge for phoning 999 to report attack on friend
A Russian man, Matvei Rumiantsev, 23, has been sentenced to four years in prison after assaulting a woman and using her phone to film the incident, which involved Barron Trump, the president’s son.
Rumiantsev attacked the victim out of envy over her relationship with Mr Trump, who recently turned 20. The altercation occurred following their connection through social media platforms.
999 call played critical role in case
During the assault, the woman received a FaceTime call from Barron Trump. He captured footage of the attack, where he was seen kicking her while she lay on the floor in tears.
“It’s really an emergency. I’m calling from the US, uh I just got a call from a girl, you know, she’s getting beat up,” Mr Trump said.
The victim testified that Trump’s prompt action helped save her life, emphasizing the severity of the situation. She described feeling trapped and fearing for her safety during the hour-long attack.
“I could not escape and… might die,” she stated in court.
Mr Justice Bennathan criticized Rumiantsev for his lack of empathy, calling him a ‘trained fighter’ and a man driven by jealousy. The judge noted his attempts to shift blame onto the victim during the trial.
Despite not appearing as a witness, Trump’s account to the police was pivotal. His call, made just days before his father’s inauguration, included a plea for urgent intervention.
“She’s getting really badly beat up and the call was about eight minutes ago, I don’t know what could have happened by now,” Trump added.
The transcript reveals he initially downplayed the details, insisting the time zone difference meant the victim might not have answered. However, he later emphasized the urgency of the situation.
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With the help of detectives, Trump was in email contact about potentially testifying. In one message, he described the incident as “very brief indeed but indeed prevalent.”
The court heard that the individual who answered the call was a shirtless man with dark hair, though Trump expressed disappointment that it wasn’t the victim herself.
