• Matvei Rumiantsev was convicted of assault after Barron Trump reported witnessing an attack during a video call.
• Rumiantsev admitted to being jealous of his girlfriend's friendship with Trump, who intervened from the US.
• The court advised caution regarding Trump’s testimony as he did not testify under oath.

A Russian man, Matvei Rumiantsev, has been found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm after an intervention by Barron Trump, the youngest son of former President Donald Trump. Trump witnessed the incident during a video call with a woman he met on social media and promptly reported it to UK police, leading to Rumiantsev's conviction in Snaresbrook Crown Court. The assault occurred on January 18, 2025, while Trump was in the US, where he described seeing "the victim getting hit while crying" shortly after a brief encounter with a bare-chested man during the call, according to BBC, Channel News Asia, and Los Angeles Times.

Trump's distress during his call to police was evident as he pleaded for assistance while the dispatcher pressed him for details about the victim. Despite an argumentative exchange, he maintained that knowing how he was connected to the victim was irrelevant because "she's getting beat up." The operator's insistence on clarity emphasized the urgency of the situation as police were dispatched to the scene, leading to Rumiantsev's arrest that same night, according to BBC and Los Angeles Times.

Rumiantsev, 22, faced charges not only of assault but also perverting the course of justice. During the trial, he expressed jealousy over the victim's relationship with Trump, suggesting that his feelings were complicated by the victim's interactions with others. He claimed, "I felt badly for him because I thought that she was leading him on," which his defense lawyer argued indicated a personal dispute rather than a criminal act, as reported by Channel News Asia and Los Angeles Times.

Justice Bennathan cautioned jurors to approach Trump's accounts with skepticism, pointing out that he had not been subjected to cross-examination, and that his observation could have been biased given his relationship with the victim. Rumiantsev's conviction adds a layer to the complex narrative involving celebrity influence and personal relationships, as he also requested the victim to retract her allegations through a letter sent from jail, highlighting attempts to undermine the legal process, according to BBC, Channel News Asia, and Los Angeles Times.