Award-winning rapper Ghetts has been jailed for 12 years at the Old Bailey for killing a student in a hit-and-run while speeding and over the drink-drive limit.
The 41 year old, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, hit his BMW into 20 year old Yubin Tamang while driving in north-east London last year.
Clarke-Samuel failed to stop his vehicle and made no call to emergency services. Tamang was left with “catastrophic injuries” and died in hospital two days later.
The father of two admitted causing death by dangerous driving and dangerous driving.
Prosecutor Philip McGhee said: “Mr Tamang was still crossing the road. He could do nothing to avoid a collision. The defendant’s BMW ploughed into him.
“Mr Tamang was catapulted into the air before crashing down on the roadway. He sustained catastrophic injuries.”
In a televised sentencing at the Old Bailey, Judge Mark Lucraft KC also disqualified the rapper from driving for 17 years. He told Clarke-Samuel that CCTV footage showed a “quite appalling litany of incidents” leading up to the fatal collision which was “simply shocking”.
In mitigation, Ben Aina KC read out extracts of a letter Clarke-Samuel had written apologising to Mr Tamang’s family.
The rapper stated: “I write from a place of extreme regret, shame and remorse. I am fully aware that there are no number of apologies that I can say which will soothe the pain that the family and friends of Mr Tamang must feel.
“This may be the only chance that I get to apologise. 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.
“I fully understand that I must face consequences for my actions and I accept that I must now be punished. I hope through the process of punishment and rehabilitation I can still add some contribution to my community”
This is a breaking news story – more to follow…
