British rapper Ghetts has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for causing the death of a 20-year-old student in a hit-and-run crash in north-east London. The artist, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Tuesday by Judge Mark Lucraft KC, who also disqualified him from driving for 17 years. Clarke-Samuel had earlier pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and a separate count of dangerous driving.
The victim, Yubin Tamang, a Nepali student, died in hospital two days after he was struck while crossing the road on 18 October 2025. Prosecutor Philip McGhee told the court that Clarke-Samuel was driving at high speed, had consumed alcohol, and was about one-and-a-half times over the legal limit at the time of the collision. The court also heard that he drove through six red traffic lights before the crash and failed to stop afterward or call emergency services. According to the Crown Prosecution Service, CCTV footage, toxicology evidence, and mobile phone data helped prosecutors trace Clarke-Samuel’s route through London and build the case against him. The CPS said the rapper knew he was unfit to drive and had shown a clear disregard for other road users.
In sentencing remarks published by the judiciary, Judge Lucraft said Clarke-Samuel’s decision to drive after drinking had fatal consequences and that his conduct after the collision made the case more serious. While the judge acknowledged the rapper’s remorse and positive community and charitable work, he said those factors were outweighed by the severity of the offence and the loss of a young life.
In a statement read outside court, Tamang’s parents, Sharmila and Bikash Tamang, said their “hearts were broken beyond repair.” They said they were relieved Clarke-Samuel had pleaded guilty but added that they could not forgive him for what he had done to their son and their family. The case has drawn wide attention in Britain because of Clarke-Samuel’s profile in music and television, but the court’s ruling centred on the fatal consequences of dangerous and drink-impaired driving.
