UK rapper jailed for 12 years for killing student in hit-and-run

Ghetts, the British rapper, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for killing a 20-year-old student in a hit-and-run collision in north-east London.

The 41-year-old artiste, born Justin Clarke-Samuel, was jailed at Old Bailey after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and an additional charge of dangerous driving.

The court heard that Ghetts struck Yubin Tamang, a university student from Nepal, with his BMW M5 on Redbridge Lane East in Ilford on October 18, 2025. Tamang died in hospital two days later.

Philip McGhee, the prosecutor, told the court that the rapper had been drinking and was about one and a half times over the legal alcohol limit.

He was said to have driven at more than 60mph in a 30mph zone, ran six red lights, veered onto the wrong side of the road, mounted the kerb, and collided with other vehicles before hitting the student. He failed to stop at the scene.

Mark Lucraft KC, the judge, also described the CCTV footage of the incident as a “quite appalling litany of incidents” that were “simply shocking”.

Ghetts had claimed he drove dangerously because he feared he was being followed, but no evidence of a pursuit was found.

Police later traced debris from the crash to his vehicle, which was discovered near his home in Woodford Green with significant front-end damage.

In a victim impact statement, Tamang’s family said their “hearts [are] broken beyond repair,” adding that the rapper had “stolen our son’s future and ours with it”.

The court also disqualified the rapper from driving for 17 years.