Award-winning United Kingdom rapper Ghetts has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for killing a student in a hit-and-run incident in north-east London.
The 41-year-old, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, received the sentence at the Old Bailey after admitting to causing the death of 20-year-old Yubin Tamang by dangerous driving.
Tamang, a university student from Nepal, passed away in hospital two days after Clarke-Samuel’s BMW M5 struck him on Redbridge Lane East, Ilford, on the evening of 18 October 2025.
The court heard that Clarke-Samuel had been driving at over 60mph in a 30mph zone when he hit Tamang as he crossed the road, and failed to stop at the scene. Judge Mark Lucraft KC also banned Clarke-Samuel from driving for 17 years.
CCTV footage revealed what the judge described as a “quite appalling litany of incidents” leading up to the fatal collision, calling them “simply shocking.”
Prosecutor Philip McGhee explained that Clarke-Samuel had been drinking alcohol that evening and was one and a half times over the legal limit.
The rapper, from Woodford Green in east London, initially said he had consumed three glasses of brandy with a meal at a restaurant.
“Catastrophic injuries” were inflicted on Tamang as he crossed the road, with McGhee describing, “Mr Tamang was catapulted into the air before crashing down on the roadway. He sustained catastrophic injuries.”
As Clarke-Samuel sped back towards his home, he ignored six red traffic lights, repeatedly veered onto the wrong side of the road, mounted the kerb, and collided with a motorcyclist and a Mercedes, causing damage.
In a statement, Tamang’s family said, “We speak today with hearts broken beyond repair. Our only child, a precious soul, has been taken from us far too soon. Justin Clarke-Samuel has stolen our son’s future and ours with it… we can never forgive him for what he has done.”
The court viewed CCTV footage showing Clarke-Samuel’s erratic driving and the moment he struck Tamang. Clarke-Samuel had claimed he drove dangerously because he feared being followed, but no evidence of a pursuit was found.
After the collision, an Uber driver initially thought he saw “a bundle of clothes in the road” before realizing Tamang was seriously injured and calling 999. Police later traced a damaged wing mirror casing at the scene to Clarke-Samuel’s vehicle and located the car near his home with significant damage to the windscreen, bonnet, and front bumper.
In December, Clarke-Samuel pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to causing death by dangerous driving, as well as an additional charge of dangerous driving.
In mitigation, Ben Aina KC read extracts of a letter Clarke-Samuel had written to Tamang’s family, expressing his feelings of remorse, “This may be the only chance that I get to apologise. It was truly an unintentional act on my part and I am so sincerely sorry for the suffering and emotional distress that I have caused.”
The court heard Clarke-Samuel had 12 previous convictions for 27 offenses from age 16, including robbery, aggravated vehicle taking, and other driving offenses.
Shani Taggart of the Crown Prosecution Service stated, “Justin Clarke-Samuel knew he was in no fit state to drive and there was clear evidence of his excessive speed and disregard for road users as he drove incredibly dangerously across our city. Today’s sentence will see Clarke-Samuel face the consequences of his fatal decision to get behind the wheel of a car after drinking. Our thoughts remain with Yubin Tamang’s family today as they grieve the loss of their only child, and with his loved ones who have to navigate a life without him.”
