When Itay Kashti accepted an invitation to a music workshop in Wales, he thought it was a promising career opportunity. Instead, he found himself in a terrifying ordeal, handcuffed to a radiator, beaten and fearing for his life. Now, after his attackers have been jailed, the Jewish-Israeli music producer is speaking out about the trauma that has changed his life forever.
Kashti, 45, who moved to London from Israel in 2007 to expand his music career, was lured to a remote cottage in Llanybydder, Wales, in August 2024. The invitation had seemed like a routine professional opportunity, but it was a carefully orchestrated trap.
Three men, Faiz Shah, Mohammad Comrie, and Elijah Ogunnubi-Sime, had posed as representatives of a reputable music company, having meticulously planned his kidnapping in a Telegram group chat.
Speaking to Jewish News, Kashti recalled, “As soon as I stepped into the cottage, something felt off. Within seconds, they attacked me.” His kidnappers restrained him, kicking him in the head and handcuffing him to a radiator. “I was told if I tried to escape, I’d be killed.”
Faiz Shah, Mohammad Comrie and Elijah Ogunnubi-Sime,
Although the group’s plan was to coerce money from him, their scheme quickly collapsed when the taxi driver who had brought Kashti to the cottage managed to escape and alert authorities. The attackers fled but were later found hiding in a nearby field by the police.
Reflecting on the attack, Kashti said that the moment immediately reminded him of the Hamas-led 7 October massacre in Israel.
“When this happened to me, I thought, ‘This is like they’re doing to me what they did to them,’” he said. “I was helpless and being threatened, and the horror of that day was very prominent in my mind afterwards.”
The court later heard that Kashti had been targeted not just for financial gain but because of his Jewish identity. Messages between the attackers referenced his Israeli heritage, made false accusations about his wealth and showed “no remorse” for their actions.
“They saw this as a legitimate cause to do all these horrible things to me,” Kashti said.
Since the attack, he has struggled to rebuild his confidence, particularly in his professional life. “My job requires me to reach out to new people, but now I hesitate,” he admitted. “It’s not just about safety; it’s about trust.”
Despite support from the Community Security Trust (CST), which provided therapy, he said financial compensation from the government remains uncertain. “I had to stay quiet about what happened for so long, and picking up the pieces has been difficult.”
Last week, Swansea Crown Court sentenced Shah, Comrie, and Ogunnubi-Sime to eight years and one month in prison. The judge condemned their actions as “utterly abhorrent” and confirmed that Kashti has been targeted due to his Jewish identity. A 15-year restraining order was also imposed.
The response to the sentencing has been mixed. While UK authorities considered the punishment severe, Kashti noted that Israeli media viewed it as too lenient.
“From an Israeli perspective, eight years doesn’t seem like enough,” he said. “But I can’t control that. I just hope they’ve learnt from this and that they never do it again.”
When asked what he would say to his attackers, his answer was simple: “Goodbye.”
After everything, he refused to let the attack define him. “I don’t want people to lose trust in the places they live,” he said. “The Jewish community is a huge source of support; we must never feel alone.”
As he continues to rebuild his life, he hopes his experience serves as both a warning and a message of resilience.
“I hope that people don’t feel as if the world has turned against them,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be like that.”
