Rahman Case Stalls Again as Robert Evans Jr. Awaits Disclosure in Owen Sound Court
Robert Evans Jr., charged in Sharif Rahman’s 2023 death, appeared in Owen Sound court Thursday. The case was delayed again over missing disclosure, and the accused was remanded back into custody.
Robert Evans Jr. (a.k.a. Michael Jones), the U.K. man charged with manslaughter in the 2023 death of restaurateur Sharif Rahman, appeared briefly by video in the Ontario Court of Justice in Owen Sound this morning. However, the matter was adjourned again after the defence told the court that disclosure materials were missing.
Evans Jr.’s counsel, Samiyyah Ganga from Weisberg Law, told Justice Julia Morneau today that the defence still had not received disclosure materials requested at two previous court dates.
“We were told a hard drive was being prepared, and we haven’t received it yet,” Ganga told the court.
Evans Jr. previously appeared in court in Owen Sound on December 17, 2025, and again on January 8, 2026. At each appearance, he’s been clean-shaven, dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, and has appeared by video from a provincial correctional facility.
In December, Evans Jr.’s counsel of record, Adam Weisberg, indicated that his client had elected not to proceed with bail at that time, but did not intend to forfeit his right to pursue it at a later date.
Ganga noted Thursday that the defence had submitted a 3-page itemized list of documents and records to the Crown.
“We’re anxious to get that disclosure to make decisions on bail,” she added.
Arjun Menon, Assistant Crown Attorney, confirmed the disclosure materials were still not available “in multimedia format.” He said the request had been sent to the Owen Sound Police Service on January 20 — two business days earlier, long after the January 8 court date.
Justice Morneau noted that an OSPS representative was present in the virtual courtroom and requested that the disclosure information be provided. Evans Jr. was remanded into custody until his next hearing on February 12.
Busby Evans Sr.: “I’ve Changed My Name”
Evans Jr.’s latest appearance comes one day after his father, Robert Busby Evans, also appeared in court by video. His case did not move forward, either. His counsel indicated they, too, await disclosure from the Crown.
Busby Evans Sr. is charged with accessory after the fact for allegedly arranging his son’s flight and transportation to the airport the day after Rahman was assaulted.
Busby Evans told the judge on Wednesday he now prefers to go by ‘Justin Jones,’ the name he allegedly used to enter Canada in 2023.
When asked to identify himself to the court, he said, “Robert Evans, also known as Justin Jones. I’ve changed my name.”
Court Proceedings Follow International Manhunt and Extradition
Rahman, 44, died one week after sustaining critical head injuries during a violent altercation outside his family-run restaurant, The Curry House, on the evening of August 17, 2023.
Police records reviewed by Owen Sound Current and CBC during extradition proceedings allege three of the Evans men — Robert Jr., his brother Justin, and uncle Barry — dined at Rahman’s restaurant in downtown Owen Sound that night. Busby Evans Sr. reportedly stayed at the nearby Travelodge hotel and did not attend the restaurant.
After reportedly refusing to pay for their meal, the dispute escalated into a physical confrontation outside, where witnesses say Evans Jr. delivered a punch that caused Rahman to fall and strike his head on the sidewalk.
Rahman never regained consciousness and died in a London, Ontario, hospital one week later, on August 24.
Evans Jr., a 25-year-old citizen of the United Kingdom, is charged with manslaughter in the case. Busby Evans Sr. and his brother Barry are each charged with accessory after the fact.
All three men were arrested in Scotland in 2024 after an international manhunt led by Canadian and U.K. authorities. Evans Jr. and his father were arrested in Edinburgh on July 30, 2024, and Barry Evans was arrested in Dalkeith on October 29, 2024.
The trio was held in Scottish custody through extradition proceedings that began in April 2025. On October 20, 2025, all three consented to extradition and were returned to Canada in December.
Police allege the Evans group, identified in extradition records as Irish Travellers, had been travelling through Southwestern Ontario during the summer of 2023, offering driveway-paving services door-to-door.
The case remains before the courts. All three accused are currently in custody, and a publication ban remains in place on any evidence presented during bail hearings.
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