A Jewish-Israeli music producer said he felt like he experienced his own “personal October 7” when he was kidnapped by a gang in West Wales and held captive.
Faiz Shah, 23, from Leeds, Mohammad Comrie, 23, from Bradford, and Elijah Ogunnubi-Sime, 20, from Wallington, were jailed at Swansea Crown Court.
The court heard they had lured Itay Kashti to a remote property in the Brynteg area of Llanybydder on 26 August, posing as representatives from a reputable music production company and inviting him to a music workshop.
During sentencing, Judge Catherine Richards said the planning was “significant and highly sophisticated”, targeting an “entirely innocent, hard-working music producer.”
The group – who all pleaded guilty to kidnap – each received a sentence of eight years and one month.
The court heard they meticulously plotted the attack on a Telegram group chat. They used false identities to rent out a cottage and organised a taxi to transport Mr Kashti to Wales from his London home.
When the taxi arrived, Mr Kashti was immediately attacked by the three masked men, suffering bruising and extensive facial injuries.
Messages recovered from the defendants show they planned to incapacitate the victim with ketamine, while an imitation pistol was found at the scene.
Mr Kashti was able to slip the chains from the radiator pipe and flee the property, later alerting the police. Officers found the three defendants hiding in nearby fields
Craig Jones, for the prosecution, said messages exchanged between the defendants referred to Mr Kashti having been on “pro-Israeli marches”. They also made allegations about “Palestinian land” and said they had “no remorse” for what they were going to do.
In a statement, Mr Kashti told the court: “As an Israeli, this incident felt like my own personal October the 7th.
“I was kicked to the head several times, handcuffed to a radiator and forced to lie down on the floor. I was threatened and told if I were to try and escape, I’d be killed.
“The awful attack of 7th of October was flashing through my mind as I lay restrained on the floor in handcuffs.”
