Rapper Ghetts has been sentenced to 12 years in prison over a fatal hit-and-run.
The 41-year-old British rapper, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, has been jailed for hitting 20-year-old student Yubin Tamang in a collision in north-east London, before fleeing the scene.
Clarke-Samuel was sentenced at London’s Old Bailey on Tuesday after pleading guilty in December to causing death by dangerous driving.
The Nepalese student was struck by Clarke-Samuel’s car in the early hours of 18 October 2025 while crossing Redbridge Lane East in Ilford. He died in hospital two days later.
The court heard the rapper had been driving at more than 60mph in a 30mph zone when the incident occurred and failed to stop at the scene.
Prosecutor Philip McGhee said Clarke-Samuel had also been drinking alcohol on the night of the hit-and-run and was about one and a half times over the legal limit.
McGhee told the court, “Mr Tamang was catapulted into the air before crashing down on the roadway. He sustained catastrophic injuries.”
Meanwhile, Tamang’s family told the court they are broken-hearted “beyond repair”.
“We speak today with hearts broken beyond repair,” they said. “Our only child, a precious soul, has been taken from us far too soon.”
Addressing the court, Judge Lucraft said Clarke-Samuel received a reduced sentence because he pleaded guilty, stating, “A sentence before plea would have been one of 16 years imprisonment.”
The Supacell actor was told he will serve two-thirds of his sentence before being released on licence. He has also been ordered to pay prosecution costs of $2,100 (£1,600).
The court was shown a series of CCTV clips capturing the rapper’s erratic driving, including the moment he struck Tamang. An Uber driver later found the student and called 999.
Police discovered a damaged wing mirror casing at the scene and were able to trace the serial number to Clarke-Samuel. Officers later located his vehicle near his home with significant damage to the windscreen, bonnet and front bumper.
