UK rapper Ghetts has been sentenced to 12 years in prison at the Old Bailey after killing a student in a high-speed, alcohol-fueled hit-and-run. The 41-year-old artist, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, struck 20-year-old Yubin Tamang while driving recklessly through north-east London on October 18, 2025. Tamang sustained catastrophic injuries and died two days later in hospital.
The incident, which has sent shockwaves across the UK music community, unfolded as Clarke-Samuel drove his BMW at more than twice the legal speed in a 30mph zone while being one-and-a-half times over the drink-drive limit. CCTV footage presented in court revealed a pattern of dangerous behavior in the minutes leading up to the collision. Clarke-Samuel repeatedly veered onto the wrong side of the road, ran six red traffic lights, and collided with a motorcycle and a Mercedes before the fatal impact.
Clarke-Samuel admitted causing death by dangerous driving and dangerous driving itself. He failed to stop at the scene or call emergency services. Police arrested him the following day at his Woodford home, where officers reported a strong smell of alcohol on his breath and noticed his BMW had a smashed windscreen and front bumper damage.
In court, Tamang’s mother, Sharmila Tamang, wept as she described her son’s death. She 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 driving at 67mph when he hit Tamang as he crossed Redbridge Lane in Ilford.
Prosecutor Philip McGhee painted a vivid picture of the impact. “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,” McGhee said.
Clarke-Samuel claimed he was driving recklessly because he believed someone had been following him. CCTV evidence presented in court, however, found no support for this claim. Judge Mark Lucraft, delivering the sentence at the Old Bailey, described the footage of Clarke-Samuel’s driving as a “quite appalling litany of incidents” that were “simply shocking.” The judge also imposed a 17-year driving ban.
The case has drawn particular attention because of Clarke-Samuel’s profile in the UK music scene. Known professionally as Ghetts, he has won multiple accolades, including Best Male Act at the 2021 Mobo Awards and the Mobo Pioneer Award in 2024. He has collaborated with Skepta, Stormzy, and Ed Sheeran, and has performed at Glastonbury several times, most recently in 2024.
During sentencing, the court also heard extracts from a letter Clarke-Samuel wrote to Tamang’s family expressing remorse. “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,” he wrote. “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’s criminal record, which includes 12 previous convictions for 27 offenses spanning robbery, aggravated vehicle taking, and driving offenses, played a significant role in the sentencing. The court considered this history alongside the severity and recklessness of his actions leading to Tamang’s death.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the deadly consequences of speeding and driving under the influence, regardless of social status or public profile. For the Tamang family, the sentence offers legal closure, but the emotional impact of losing an only child remains immeasurable.
