British rapper and actor Justin Clarke-Samuel, known as Ghetts, admitted in court that he caused the death of Yubin Tamang, 20, after a late-night collision in Ilford on October 18.
The incident occurred shortly after 11:30 p.m., when Tamang, a Nepalese student, was crossing the road in a 50 km/h zone where prosecutors say Ghetts was driving at more than 100 km/h.
He was unable to stop after hitting Tamang, who died two days later.
As reported by Sky News, the court heard that Mr Tamang was an only child whose family had traveled to the UK and had watched the hearing from the public gallery.
Ghetts also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving in several areas of London before the fatal collision, including Tavistock Place in Bloomsbury and parts of Camden, Islington and Hackney.
He appeared via video link from Pentonville prison on Monday, wearing a green polo, and gave evidence at the Old Bailey.
The 41-year-old, a two-time Mercury Prize nominee and MOBO winner, has been in custody since his first appearance at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on October 27.
He has now been disqualified from driving and the duration of the ban has not yet been set.
During his hearing, Judge Mark Lucraft KC said he will receive a custodial sentence, the exact term of which will be decided when he returns for sentencing on February 12, 2026.
According to Sky News, Detective Inspector Mark Braithwaite of the Met’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit said the guilty pleas were “a step towards justice”. He added: “Decisions made in a split second behind the wheel can have devastating and transformative consequences.”
Police said Ghetts’ BMW was found in the early hours after the crash near his home in Woodford, showing extensive damage, including a broken windshield and a missing rear-view mirror cover.
Ghetts was also charged on Dec. 4 with causing death by negligent driving while over the alcohol limit. He did not plead guilty to that charge or a second charge of dangerous driving.
Ghetts has had a long career in music, earning Mercury Prize nominations for his albums Conflict Of Interest (2021) and On Purpose, With Purpose (2024). He also received MOBO and Ivor Novello nominations and appeared in the Netflix drama Supacell.
(Heaven News)
READ ALSO THE BEST STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE