The courtroom was silent as the sentence was delivered: twelve years. Rapper Ghetts, known to the world as Justin Clarke-Samuel, had been found guilty of causing the death of Yubin Tamang, a young student from Nepal, in a devastating hit-and-run.
The tragedy unfolded on a Saturday night in October. Clarke-Samuel, over the legal drink-drive limit, was speeding through Ilford, East London – reaching a shocking 70mph in a 30mph zone. He’d been drinking at a restaurant and later at a lounge, a dangerous combination that would irrevocably alter lives.
Witnesses described a harrowing scene. Clarke-Samuel ran six red lights, swerving erratically, even mounting the curb and colliding with other vehicles. But the most horrific moment came when his BMW struck Yubin Tamang as he crossed Redbridge Lane. The impact sent the young man flying, inflicting catastrophic injuries.
Instead of stopping to help, Clarke-Samuel continued driving for another eight miles, a full fifteen minutes, before finally reaching his home. He offered no assistance, no call for emergency services, leaving Yubin to fight for his life alone.
Yubin Tamang was an only child, sent to the UK by his parents to pursue an education and fulfill his dreams. A keen musician and hip-hop enthusiast, he was a promising student at the University of Roehampton. He died in hospital two days after the collision, a future extinguished too soon.
CCTV footage, shown in court, painted a chilling picture of Clarke-Samuel’s reckless driving. An Uber driver initially mistook Yubin’s broken body for a bundle of clothes, a heartbreaking testament to the violence of the crash. A passing motorist bravely administered first aid until paramedics arrived.
Police found Clarke-Samuel’s BMW severely damaged, the windscreen shattered, the front bumper crushed. He claimed he was driving dangerously because he feared being followed, but investigators found no evidence to support this claim. His driving record revealed a history of offenses – twelve previous convictions for twenty-seven crimes.
The courtroom was filled with grief as Yubin’s mother, Sharmila Tamang, delivered a devastating statement. “My son had come for studies… but because of somebody’s mistakes he has died at a very small age,” she wept. “Yubin was our only child.”
Sushant Khadka, Yubin’s roommate, echoed the sentiment, describing a young man full of ambition and promise. The loss wasn’t just of a life, but of a future that would never be. Clarke-Samuel, through his legal team, offered a written apology, expressing “extreme regret, shame and remorse,” but the words felt hollow in the face of such profound loss.
The defense suggested Clarke-Samuel’s reckless behavior stemmed from a past trauma – a 2017 armed robbery that left him feeling vulnerable. However, this explanation did little to mitigate the severity of his actions. The court had seen the evidence, the devastating consequences of a night of reckless choices.
Clarke-Samuel, a celebrated figure in the British grime scene, with accolades including a Mobo Award and a Mercury Prize nomination, now faced the consequences of his actions. His career, his artistry, all overshadowed by the tragic death of a young man and the pain inflicted upon a grieving family.
