Rapper Ghetts, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Tuesday for causing the death of 20-year-old Yubin Tamang in a hit-and-run collision in Ilford, northeast London, in October 2025. The sentencing took place at the Old Bailey, where Clarke-Samuel pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving in December.
The court heard that Clarke-Samuel was driving his BMW M5 at over 60 mph in a 30 mph zone when he struck Tamang, a Nepalese university student, as he crossed Redbridge Lane East. Tamang died in hospital two days after the incident. Clarke-Samuel failed to stop at the scene.
Prosecutor Philip McGhee told the court that Clarke-Samuel had consumed alcohol prior to the collision, registering a blood alcohol level one and a half times over the legal limit. The rapper had admitted to drinking three glasses of brandy with a meal at a restaurant earlier that evening. McGhee described how Clarke-Samuel drove “erratically” leading up to the crash, failing to stop at six red traffic lights, repeatedly veering onto the wrong side of the road, and mounting the kerb, colliding with a motorcyclist and a Mercedes before hitting Tamang.
Judge Mark Lucraft KC acknowledged that a sentence determined before the guilty plea would have been 16 years imprisonment, but reduced it to 12 years in light of Clarke-Samuel’s admission of guilt. The judge also disqualified Clarke-Samuel from driving for 17 years. He noted CCTV footage revealed “a quite appalling litany of incidents” and described the driving as “simply shocking.”
Clarke-Samuel will serve two-thirds of his sentence before being eligible for release on license. He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £1,600. The rapper, known for his work in the grime scene and his recent role in the Netflix series “Supacell,” appeared in court wearing all black.
The case has drawn attention to the dangers of reckless driving and the devastating consequences of hit-and-run incidents. Police recovered a damaged mirror from the scene, tracing its serial number back to Clarke-Samuel’s vehicle.
