March 03, (THEWILL) — UK grime rapper, Justin Clarke-Samuel, popularly known as Ghetts, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for killing a student in a hit-and-run collision in north-east London.
The 41-year-old was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Tuesday after pleading guilty to causing the death of 20-year-old Yubin Tamang by dangerous driving.
Tamang, a university student from Nepal, was struck by Clarke-Samuel’s BMW on Redbridge Lane East in Ilford on October 18, 2025, and died in hospital two days later. The court heard that he was driving at more than 60mph in a 30mph zone and failed to stop after the collision.
CCTV footage shown in court showed him running several red lights, driving on the wrong side of the road and mounting kerbs shortly before the collision.
During sentencing, Judge Mark Lucraft KC said the footage showed a “quite appalling litany of incidents” and described the driving as “simply shocking”. He also banned Clarke-Samuel from driving for 17 years.
Prosecutor Philip McGhee told the court that Clarke-Samuel had been drinking alcohol that evening and was about one and a half times over the legal limit.
Describing the impact, McGhee said: “Mr Tamang was catapulted into the air before crashing down on the roadway. He sustained catastrophic injuries.”
In a statement read in court, 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.”
Clarke-Samuel later wrote a letter that was read to the court, expressing “extreme regret, shame and remorse”.
He said, “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.”
Evi Ben Ezaga writes on entertainment, culture, and trending stories.
