Ghetts has been jailed for 12 years after killing a 20-year-old student in a fatal hit-and-run incident in London.
The 41-year-old rapper and Mercury Prize nominee, real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, failed to stop after hitting a man in Ilford on October 18, 2025 around 11.30pm. Yubin Tamang, a student from Nepal, died in hospital from his injuries two days after being hit by Ghetts’ BMW.
Evidence showed that the rapper was driving at 74mph in a 30mph zone before striking Tamang as he crossed Redbridge Lane. Ghetts then failed to stop at the scene. A court heard that after the crash, Clarke-Samuel continued to drive for eight miles before going home and having six or seven shots of Ciroc vodka and a “cannabis cookie”.
Upon his arrest several hours later, his BMW was found parked near his home with damage including a smashed windscreen, marks on the bonnet, damage to the front bumper and a missing wing mirror cover.
He has been in custody since making a preliminary appearance on October 27 at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court. There, he was disqualified from driving with immediate effect, and he later pleaded guilty to death by dangerous driving in December.
The victim’s mother told the Old Bailey of the “extreme pain” and “unimaginable sense of loss” after hearing about the death of her only child (as per Sky News).
“My son had dreamed of further education and had come to the UK. He wanted to gain a degree from here because it is well recognised in the world. Unfortunately, this tragic event happened near our home while he was returning home from work,” she said in court, sharing a witness statement via an interpreter.
GHETTS’ REAL NAME, CLARKE-SAMUEL, HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS IN JAIL FOR CAUSING DEATH BY DANGEROUS DRIVING 🚨
Prosecutors say he was 1.5x over the legal drink-drive limit, ran 6 red lights, hit two vehicles and reached speeds of up to 70mph in a 30 zone before the fatal… pic.twitter.com/fWhycl121V
— 🇯🇲 TMC Music Connoisseur // SKATPACK (B4M) (@MusicConnoisseu) March 3, 2026
Ghetts wore all black and spoke only to confirm his name in court. His attorney, Benjamin Aina KC, shared that the rapper had expressed remorse for his actions on that night in a letter.
The letter, the attorney shared, saw Ghetts apologise to “the family of Mr Tamang, the community at large, to his own family, and to the court for his actions on that Saturday night of October last year”.
“I write from a place of extreme regret, shame and remorse… I cannot express the enormous feeling of guilt and shame for the suffering I have caused. I want Mr Tamang’s family to know that I am so truly sorry. I offer no excuses, and I have let my family and community down,” the letter added, while also acknowledging multiple aggravating factors surrounding the case.
Also in court, footage was shown of Ghetts driving erratically through the streets of North East London, and prosecutor Philip McGhee told the court that the vehicle – which was going at 67mph when it collided with Tamang, over double the speed limit – had thrown the victim into the air before he hit the ground.
The court was then told that Ghetts had been involved in a collision with another car before striking Tamang, and narrowly missed hitting a cyclist. The prosecution claimed that the rapper had been drinking alcohol before he got behind the wheel, and was allegedly one-and-a-half times over the limit (via BBC News).
In 2021, Ghetts was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize for his third album 2021’s ‘Conflict Of Interest’, and also he won the Best Male Act at the MOBO Awards.
He received a second nod at the Mercury Prize in 2024 for ‘On Purpose With Purpose‘, and that year also saw him named as the recipient for the MOBO Pioneer Award – recognised for his significant contribution to British black culture. He has also taken on acting roles in the past, including playing Craig in the Netflix series Supacell.
