"Justin Clarke-Samuel has stolen our son’s future"
Award-winning rapper Ghetts has been jailed for 12 years for killing a student in a hit-and-run collision in North-East London.
The 41-year-old, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, was sentenced at the Old Bailey after admitting causing the death of 20-year-old Nepali national Yubin Tamang by dangerous driving.
Mr Tamang died in hospital two days after being struck by Clarke-Samuel’s car in Ilford, on the evening of October 18, 2025.
The court heard Clarke-Samuel had been driving at more than 60 mph in a 30 mph zone when his BMW M5 hit Tamang as he crossed the road. He failed to stop at the scene.
Judge Mark Lucraft KC also disqualified Clarke-Samuel from driving for 17 years. He said CCTV footage showed a “quite appalling litany of incidents” leading up to the fatal collision, which were “simply shocking”.
Prosecutor Philip McGhee said Clarke-Samuel had been drinking alcohol on the evening of the crash.
The rapper, from Woodford Green in east London, was said to be one and a half times over the legal limit.
Clarke-Samuel initially said he had drunk three glasses of brandy with a meal at a restaurant. As he drove his BMW M5 at speed back towards his home in Woodford, he failed to stop at six red traffic lights, the court was told.
He repeatedly veered onto the wrong side of the road, mounted the kerb, and collided with a motorcyclist and a Mercedes, causing damage.
Mr McGhee said: “Mr Tamang was catapulted into the air before crashing down on the roadway. He sustained catastrophic injuries.”
In a statement, Mr 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 was shown CCTV footage of Clarke-Samuel’s erratic driving, including the moment he hit Mr Tamang.
The defendant had claimed he had driven dangerously because he feared someone was following him, but no evidence of a pursuit was found.
After the crash, an Uber driver initially thought he saw a “bundle of clothes in the road” and called 999 on realising Mr Tamang was seriously injured.
Police later found a damaged wing mirror casing on the road and traced the serial number to Clarke-Samuel’s vehicle. Officers 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 and an additional charge of dangerous driving.
In mitigation, Ben Aina KC read extracts of a letter Clarke-Samuel had written apologising to the student’s family, saying he felt “extreme regret, shame and remorse” over his death.
He added: “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 crimes from the age of 16, including robbery, aggravated vehicle taking, and driving offences.
As one of the UK’s most influential grime artists, Ghetts is known for his lyrical storytelling and collaborations with major acts including Stormzy, Ed Sheeran, and Skepta.
His career spans over a decade and has helped shape Britain’s modern rap scene.
He won the Best Male Act at the Mobo Awards in 2021 and, more recently, received the prestigious Mobo Pioneer Award in 2024 for his “significant contribution to British black culture”.
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