Rapper Ghetts Jailed 12 Years Over Student’s Hit-and-Run Death

Award-winning British rapper Ghetts, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for killing a university student in a hit-and-run crash in north-east London.

Clarke-Samuel, 41, was sentenced at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty to causing the death of 20-year-old Yubin Tamang by dangerous driving.

Tamang, a student from Nepal, died in the hospital two days after Clarke-Samuel’s BMW M5 struck him on Redbridge Lane East in Ilford on October 18, 2025.

The court heard that the rapper had been driving at more than 60mph in a 30mph zone when his car hit Tamang as he crossed the road. He failed to stop after the collision.

Judge Mark Lucraft KC also disqualified Clarke-Samuel from driving for 17 years.

During the hearing, prosecutor Philip McGhie told the court that Clarke-Samuel had been drinking alcohol before the crash and was about one and a half times over the legal driving limit.

He initially told investigators he had consumed three glasses of brandy during a meal at a restaurant.

Prosecutors said the rapper drove erratically before the collision, running six red traffic lights, veering onto the wrong side of the road and colliding with a motorcyclist and a Mercedes.

Tamang was crossing the road when he was struck by the speeding vehicle.

“Mr Tamang was catapulted into the air before crashing down on the roadway. He sustained catastrophic injuries,” McGhee told the court.

In a statement read in court, Tamang’s family described their grief at the loss of their only child.

“We speak today with hearts broken beyond repair. Our only child, a precious soul, has been taken from us far too soon,” the statement said.

Police traced the vehicle involved in the crash after officers recovered a damaged wing mirror casing at the scene. The serial number led investigators to Clarke-Samuel’s car, which was later found parked near his home with significant damage.

In mitigation, Clarke-Samuel apologised to the victim’s family in a letter read to the court, expressing “extreme regret, shame and remorse” over Tamang’s death.

However, the court also heard that the rapper had 12 previous convictions for 27 offences, including robbery and driving-related crimes.

Reacting to the verdict, Crown Prosecution Service lawyer Shani Taggart said Clarke-Samuel had shown a “clear disregard for road users” by driving while intoxicated and at excessive speed.

She added that the sentence reflects the consequences of his decision to drive under the influence.