Ghetts sentenced to 12 years for London hit-and-run death of student
Ghetts has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to causing the death of a student in a hit-and-run incident in London.
The British rapper and actor, whose birth name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Tuesday after admitting to causing the death of 20-year-old Nepalese student Yubin Tamang by reckless driving. He was also disqualified from driving for 17 years.
According to court proceedings reported by BBC News, prosecutor Philip McGhie said Clarke-Samuel had been drinking alcohol on the night of the incident in October. His blood alcohol level was said to be 1.5 times over the legal limit. He had previously admitted to consuming three glasses of brandy during a meal at a restaurant.
Tamang was crossing a road in north-east London when he was struck by Clarke-Samuel’s car, which was travelling at 60mph in a 30mph zone. The student died in the hospital two days later. The driver did not stop at the scene.
Police recovered a damaged wing mirror at the site of the crash and traced its serial number to Clarke-Samuel’s vehicle. He admitted driving recklessly, including failing to stop at six red traffic lights before the collision, but claimed he believed someone was following him. No evidence was found to support that assertion.
In a statement, Tamang’s family said, “We speak today with hearts broken beyond repair. Our only child, a precious soul, has been taken from us far too soon. Justin Clarke-Samuel has stolen our son’s future and ours with it… we can never forgive him for what he has done.”
Clarke-Samuel’s lawyer read an apology in court expressing “extreme regret, shame and remorse.” “This may be the only chance that I get to apologize,” he said. “It was truly an unintentional act on my part and I am so sincerely sorry for the suffering and emotional distress that I have caused.”
Ghetts appeared in the Netflix series Supacell as antagonist Craig, also known as Krazy, and has released four studio albums.
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