Three nibbling abductors attracted an Israeli musician to a remote house in Wales with financial, political and religious motives, a court heard.
Faiz Shah, 23, Mohammad Comrie, 23, and Elijah Ogunnubi-Time, 20, carefully planned the kidnapping of the Jewish composer Itay Kashti who described the test as “My own Personal 7.”
False and claims to be a Polydor Records director, the three friends invited Mr Kashti to a music event that would be attended by music producers and other musicians.
They paid in front of a taxi to take him to an Airbnb in Ceredeigion where they were waiting in face masks and gloves and enough stocks to keep him trapped for a week.
But after attacking the married composer, they fascinate him with a radiator and they do not notice that he could slide past a pipe and be free.
The trio came up with a kidnapping plan, described in the court as “very advanced in the planning but very amateurish in its execution.”
Public Prosecutor Craig Jones said: 'A chat from the telegram group was founded by the defendants in which they discussed many aspects of the plot.
“They called herself Banger, Paul Graham and Fly Adam and referred to the abduction operation as The Lick.”
Mohammad Comrie, 23, In addition to two other men, have been sentenced to eight years for kidnapping an Israeli musician in a remote house in West Wales
Elia Ogunnubi-League, 30, was also part of the trio. They kidnapped the Jewish composer Itay Kashti who described the test as 'my own personal October 7'
“There are many messages between the three defendants about how they can make their dealings with Mr. Kashti seem realistic and professional.”
Swansea Crown Court heard that the three kidnappers made a shopping list with handcuffs, a Blinfold, Gag, Zip tires and ketamine to drug their intended target.
Mr Jones said: 'They e -mailed Mr. Kashti and claimed to be a fictional A&R Man from Polydor records with the name Lucas Winslow who invited him for a recording camp in Wales.
'They told him that it was a meeting of a group of producers and songwriters for a collaboration.
“He would be picked up by a driver, given a reward package and they asked for an invoice.
“Mr Kashti answered and said that he would like to participate – as far as he is concerned, he went to a legitimate music recording event.”
Mr Jones said it was a 'carefully and deliberate plot' to secure his presence and the trio made their dealings with their intended victim 'realistic and professional'.
Under the invented name of James Sullivan, they rented Gate House Cottage for a week, near the city of Llanybydder and found it sufficient stocks to hold Mr. Kashti until a ransom was paid.
Jones said: “Their motivation was two -time. Firstly, they intended to extort money from the person they considered rich.
“But there was a clear political and religious motivation. In the discussions between the defendants, they refer to him who attend pro-Israeli marches in London and said one of them: “I know that this guy is involved in settlements in the West Bank Landt.”
Faiz Shah, 23, was also sentenced to eight years behind bars. The abduction of the trio was described as 'very advanced in the planning, but very amateurish in its performance'
They rented Gate House Cottage, near the city of Llanybydder for a week and found it sufficient stocks to hold Mr. Kashti until a ransom was paid.
The three kidnappers, who met each other online, were planning to launder the ransom by converting it into crypto-currency.
One message about a coded telegram group stated: “All three have a complete, 100 percent belief in Allah, so we can't fail.”
But the kidnapping on August 25 last year went badly wrong when the taxi driver who brought the composer to the house helped him in with his guitar and luggage and discovered that they had walked into a 'well -recorded' fall.
The driver was attacked by the gang, but managed to escape and increase the alarm. By that time, Mr. Kashti was also brought to the ground where he was kicked and beaten and threatened with death when he tried to escape.
Mr. Jones said: “They fascinate him to a radiator, but he was able to lift himself up and free himself from a pipe.
“He took his cell phone from a table, escaped and hid in bushes where he called his wife to tell her what had happened to him.”
The gang was completed in nearby fields and the police found cash, mobile phones and fraudulent bank cards issued in the name James Sullivan in the house.
Comrie, from Leeds, Shah from Bradford, and Elijah Ogunnubi-London, London, all allowed abductor. They were given any sentences of eight years and a month with Ogunnubi-League who served his time in a young perpetrator institution.
An air gun recovered from the rural house where the three men held the victim hostage
A rubber face mask that was part of the 'shopping list' of the trio was also found at the building
Kashti was held on the building with the three men who used cable tires to bind it to a radiator. He managed to escape and call his wife
In his personal impact statement, Mr. Kashti said: “As Israeli this was my own personal October 7” “He added that while he was lying on the floor, he thought of the six million Jews who lost their lives in the Holocaust.
He said, “I don't know how I can continue to work in the music industry, it has left me with fear and feelings of isolation and loss of trust.”
Judge Catherine Richards said that the attack “meant important and highly advanced planning” and they focused on Kashti “based on your understanding of his wealth, his Jewish heritage and your racial hostility.”
Kashti was supported by the Community Security Trust, a charity that protects British Jews against terrorism and anti -Semitism.
Afterwards it issued a statement from Mr Kashti – who did not identify it – in which he said: “As Israelic, this incident felt like my own personal October on October 7.
'I was kicked against the head several times, fascinated by a radiator and forced to lie on the floor.
“I was threatened and told if I would try to escape, I would be killed.
'The terrible attack of 7 October flashed through my head while I was in handcuffs on the floor.
'I cannot deny the strong and devastating impact that this brutal and unnecessary attack has had on my life.
“The terrible attack of October 7 flashed through my head while I was on the floor in handcuffs,” said in a statement through the Community Security Trust
'My physical injuries lasted for weeks and I have had fear of fear that I have never experienced before.
“I am so grateful to CST for all the support they have given me.”
CST director Mark Gardner thank the police and public prosecutors for bringing the abductors and said: 'The combination of crime and anti-Jewish hatred could easily have led to a much worse, perhaps even fatal outcome.
“We will continue to work with the police and all other partners to guarantee the security of our Jewish community and to bring perpetrators of anti -Semitism to court.”
Inspector Gareth Jones of the Dyfed Powys police said: “This sentence today reflects the seriousness of this crime and the test that the victim has suffered – and we hope that it gives the victim a sense of justice.
“We thank him for his strength, courage and patience while we have carried out a thorough investigation into what an extraordinary crime was.”
