Three men jailed for kidnapping Jewish-Israeli composer in west Wales

A Jewish-Israeli music producer who was lured from London to west Wales by a gang who then kidnapped him and handcuffed him to a radiator has described how the incident felt like his “personal October 7”.

Faiz Shah, 23, Mohammad Comrie, 23, and Elijah Ogunnubi-Sime, 20, meticulously plotted the attack on a Telegram group chat before carrying it out on August 26 last year.

They posed as representatives from a reputable music production company and invited the victim to a workshop at a remote property in the Brynteg area of Llanybydder, west Wales.

Swansea Crown Court heard on Friday afternoon how the men used false identities to rent out the cottage for one week, as well as organising a taxi to bring the unsuspecting victim to them.

They donned masks and attacked the victim and taxi driver when they arrived at the scene but fled when they realised the taxi driver had escaped and would raise the alarm.

Police discovered the three defendants hiding in nearby fields and they later pleaded guilty to charges of kidnap.

Judge Catherine Richards jailed Shah, of Leeds and Comrie, of Bradford, for eight years and one month, and sentenced Ogunnubi-Sime of Wallington, to eight years and one month in detention.

Events

The judge told them that the case was “motivated by events taking place elsewhere in the world” and imposed a 15-year restraining order.

She said: “This offence involved significant and highly sophisticated planning. None of you knew the victim.

“He was an entirely innocent, hard-working music producer that you had identified as a victim based on your understanding of his wealth and his Jewish heritage.”

The judge said the victim was contacted by the defendants, posing as a music production company, and did “due diligence” but was persuaded by their sophisticated deception.

Planning for the kidnap included the defendants using stolen identities and financial documents, multiple mobile phones, the development of escape routes and processes to launder any money extorted from the victim.

“The victim was driven hundreds of miles from his home to an isolated location,” the judge said.

“His ability to defend himself or seek assistance was intended to be impossible. It would have added to his sense of fear and desperation.

“Upon arrival at the property, he was immediately assaulted by the three of you, who were wearing masks. He was told he would be killed if he tried to escape.”

Ketamine

Messages recovered from the defendants show they planned to incapacitate the victim with ketamine, while an imitation pistol was found at the scene.

The judge added: “He thought he was going to die. The whole ordeal remains something he has to live with.”

She said the offending was aggravated by the defendants’ plan to extort money from the victim, as well as their targeting of him because of his Jewish heritage.

The judge told them: “It seems to me that you justified your actions against the victim based on his background, as if he was less worthy of your respect and compassion. That is utterly abhorrent.

“I have no doubt that the victim was targeted due to his Jewish heritage.”

Prosecuting, Craig Jones said the victim is a London-based music producer and composer who received an email inviting him to a music workshop from August 26 to September 2 last year.

The defendants exchanged messages on how to communicate with the victim to seem “professional”, as well as updating a shopping list, and detailing how they would use cryptocurrency to launder any money they extorted from him.

Cable ties

Items on the shopping list included face masks, gloves, rental cars, a gag, blindfold, handcuffs and cable ties.

Mr Jones quoted messages referring to the victim having been on “pro-Israeli marches” and made allegations about “Palestinian land”, with the defendants saying they had “no remorse” for what they were going to do.

In a statement, the victim 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.”

After realising his attackers had left the property, the victim managed to free himself from the radiator and hid in nearby bushes where he rang his horrified wife who alerted police.

Images released after the case showed the victim’s blood on the floor of the cottage, along with cable ties used to restrain him.

Mr Jones said the man was subjected to “significant violence” by the defendants, suffering facial injuries and bruising.

Speaking after the case, Mark Gardner, chief executive of the Community Security Trust (CST), which has supported the victim and his family, thanked prosecutors for their work in the case.

Anti-Jewish hatred

He said: “The combination of criminality and anti-Jewish hatred could easily have resulted in a far worse, perhaps even fatal outcome.

“We will continue to work with the police and all other partners to ensure the safety of our Jewish community and to bring perpetrators of antisemitism to justice.”

Inspector Gareth Jones, of Dyfed-Powys Police, described the “harrowing” impact of the crime on the victim and his family.

“This sentence today reflects the severity of this offence and the ordeal the victim suffered – and we hope it gives the victim a sense of justice,” he said.

“We thank him for his strength, bravery and patience whilst we carried out a thorough investigation into what was an extraordinary crime.”