Award-winning rapper Ghetts has been jailed for 12 years at the Old Bailey for killing a student in a hit-and-run while speeding and over the drink-drive limit.
The 41-year-old, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, crashed his BMW into 20-year-old Yubin Tamang while driving in north-east London on 18 October 2025.
Clarke-Samuel failed to stop his vehicle or call emergency services after the collision, which left Tamang with “catastrophic injuries”. He died in hospital two days later.
The father-of-two admitted causing death by dangerous driving and dangerous driving.
Weeping in court, Tamang’s mother, Sharmila Tamang, said: “My son had come for studies to this place, but because of somebody’s mistakes he has died at a very small age. Yubin was our only child.”
The court heard that Clarke-Samuel had been one-and-a-half times over the legal drink-drive limit and was driving to his home in Woodford at speeds of more than 70mph before the crash.
He had been repeatedly veering onto the wrong side of the road and had failed to stop at six red traffic lights. The court was told that he also caused damage after colliding with a motorcycle and a Mercedes.
At 11.33pm, Clarke-Samuel hit Tamang as he crossed Redbridge Lane in Ilford, while he was going 67mph in a 30mph zone.
The rapper arrived at his home over 15 minutes later and was arrested by police the next day. Upon arrival at his home, officers smelled alcohol on Clarke-Samuel’s breath and saw that his black BMW had a smashed windscreen and damage to the front bumper.
In a televised sentencing at the Old Bailey, Judge Mark Lucraft also disqualified the rapper from driving for 17 years. He told Clarke-Samuel that CCTV footage showed a “quite appalling litany of incidents” leading up to the fatal collision, which was “simply shocking”.
Prosecutor Philip McGhee said: “Mr Tamang was still crossing the road. He could do nothing to avoid a collision. The defendant’s BMW ploughed into him.
“Mr Tamang was catapulted into the air before crashing down on the roadway. He sustained catastrophic injuries.”
The court heard that the rapper was driving recklessly as he believed someone had been following him, however, no evidence of this was found on CCTV.
The rapper, who won best male act at the 2021 Mobo Awards and received the Mobo pioneer award in 2024, has collaborated with Skepta, Stormzy and Ed Sheeran. He also performed at Glastonbury a number of times, including in 2024.
In mitigation, extracts of a letter Clarke-Samuel had written apologising to Tamang’s family were read aloud.
He said: “I write from a place of extreme regret, shame and remorse. I am fully aware that there are no number of apologies that I can say which will soothe the pain that the family and friends of Mr Tamang must feel.
“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.”
Clarke-Samuel has 12 previous convictions for 27 crimes from the age of 16, which included robbery, aggravated vehicle taking and driving offences.
