Rapper Ghetts Sentenced to 12 Years for Fatal Hit-and-Run
Award-winning British rapper Ghetts, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for causing the death of 20-year-traditional Yubin Tamang in a hit-and-run collision in north-east London. The sentencing took place at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Details of the Incident
Yubin Tamang, a Nepalese national and university student, died in hospital two days after being struck by Clarke-Samuel’s car on Redbridge Lane East, Ilford, on the evening of October 18, 2025. Clarke-Samuel pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
The court heard that Clarke-Samuel was driving at over 60 mph in a 30 mph zone when his BMW M5 hit Tamang as he crossed the road. He did not stop at the scene. CCTV footage presented in court revealed a series of dangerous driving incidents leading up to the collision, described by Judge Mark Lucraft KC as “simply shocking.”
Court Testimony and Sentencing
Sharmila Tamang, the mother of the victim, shared her grief with the court, stating, “My son had come for studies to this place but, because of somebody’s mistakes, he has died at a incredibly small age. Yubin was our only child. My son had come for his studies to the UK saying the UK had the best degree in the world. But on his way back from his work this happened and he lost his life.”
Sushant Khadka, Tamang’s roommate, similarly provided a statement, saying, “Yubin was only 20 years old. He had dreams, ambition, plans for his future.”
Judge Lucraft sentenced Clarke-Samuel to 12 years imprisonment and disqualified him from driving for 17 years.
Additional Details Revealed in Court
Prosecutors revealed that Clarke-Samuel had been drinking alcohol on the evening of the crash and was one and a half times over the legal limit. Prior to the collision, he ran six red traffic lights, repeatedly veered onto the wrong side of the road, mounted the curb, and collided with a motorcyclist and a Mercedes, causing damage.
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