Three men were sentenced to eight years in prison on Friday in Wales after being convicted of kidnapping a Jewish-Israeli music producer, an act that was reportedly motivated by events occurring abroad.
Faiz Shah (23), Mohammad Comrie (23), and Elijah Ogunnubi-Sime (20) lured Itay Kashti to West Wales under false pretenses. They kidnapped him and handcuffed him to a radiator.
Kashti, in his victim impact statement, compared the traumatic event to his own “personal October 7.”
The gang planned the kidnapping via a Telegram group chat and executed it on August 26 of last year.
At Swansea Crown Court, it was revealed that the trio used fake identities to rent a secluded cottage and arranged a taxi to transport Kashti, who believed he was meeting with individuals from a music production company. Upon arrival, the group attacked both Kashti and the taxi driver. However, the taxi driver managed to escape and alert authorities.
Police soon located the three men hiding in nearby fields, and they admitted to the charges of kidnapping.
Judge Catherine Richards sentenced the men to eight years and one month in prison, stating that the crime was “motivated by events taking place elsewhere in the world.” She added that Kashti, an innocent and hardworking music producer, had been targeted due to his perceived wealth and Jewish heritage.
Describing the ordeal, Kashti shared that he was kicked in the head multiple times, handcuffed to a radiator, and forced to lie on the floor. He was also threatened with death if he attempted to escape.
