Sharif Rahman Case: Evans Family Makes First Appearance in Owen Sound Court
Robert Evans Jr., charged with manslaughter, with his father and uncle as accessories, was extradited from Scotland on Dec 11 and appeared in Ontario Court of Justice in Owen Sound on Friday, Dec 12.
Three men from the United Kingdom appeared in front of Justice of the Peace Kathryn Kellough in the Ontario Court of Justice in Owen Sound this morning. It was the Evans family’s first court appearance on Canadian soil since Robert Evans Jr., 25, was charged with manslaughter in the 2023 homicide of Sharif Rahman.
His father, Robert Evans, 47, and uncle Barry Evans, 55, are each charged with accessory after the fact for allegedly helping him evade the law and flee back to the UK. Sharif Rahman died on August 24, 2023, at 44 years old in a London, Ontario, trauma centre after suffering critical head injuries in an altercation with customers outside his restaurant a week earlier.
Ontario Provincial Police released a notice late Thursday night that all three had been successfully extradited back to Canada from a holding facility in Scotland.
Three Accused in Sharif Rahman Homicide Case Returned to Owen Sound After Extradition from Scotland
Each of the accused appeared in person, and their counsel on video:
Cassandra Geeta for counsel-of-record Adam Weisberg of Weisberg Law, for Robert Evans
Simona Petti for Robert Busby Evans
Deepak Vadera for counsel-of-record Tania Bariteau, Bariteau Dulysh, for Barry Evans
Robert Busby Evans Sr. appeared in the glassed-in defendant box first, free of shackles and sporting a distinct 5 o’clock shadow, just before 11:20 a.m.
Dressed in black track pants and a grey t-shirt, he let the court know he had a cold and asked if he could be incarcerated alongside his son, noting he has spent 16.5 months in a Scottish prison already locked away from him.
Kellough recommended he speak with his legal representatives about any such requests.
Barry Evans came next, dressed in jeans and a black sweatshirt, and with a goatee. This Evans spent less than 5 minutes in the defendant’s box. He asked the court whether he needed to contact his lawyer, which seemed to indicate he had not done so since arriving in Canada.
Vadera assured his firm’s client that they would be in touch to assist with his application for legal aid.
Robert Evans Jr., facing the most serious of the charges, was brought out just before 11:30 a.m. Like his father and uncle before him, he was free of shackles or cuffs and stood in the glass enclosure. Dressed in black jeans and a black t-shirt, Evans Jr. appeared to have a fresh fade and had grown a short, dark beard.
Crown Prosecutor Patrick Clement asked Kellough to deny bail for all three, and requested a publication ban on evidence presented in the bail hearing. Clement also asked the court for a no-contact order involving members of Rahman’s family and witnesses in the case.
With those preliminary matters granted, the three men were remanded back into custody until their next appearances, which will take place by video only on separate dates.
Court Date Marks a Milestone in Case That Divided a Community
The -6°C temperature, swirling snow, and biting wind offered a stark contrast from the Evans crew’s last experiences in Ontario in August 2023.
The three accused, alongside a fourth family member allegedly present at The Curry House that night but not charged in the crime that followed, were identified as Irish Travellers in police affidavits presented in an Edinburgh court earlier this year during their extradition proceedings. Police believe they travelled Southwestern Ontario that summer, paving driveways for cash and — in one case — a vehicle.
Those business activities, known for high-pressure sales tactics and subpar workmanship, led to at least two interactions with police, in Listowel and Collingwood, in the month before the Owen Sound assault. They also appear to have taken place while the men were in Canada on visitor visas — two of them using aliases.
According to the affidavits, Robert Evans Jr. entered Canada on June 4, 2023, using what police say Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) confirmed as a “valid UK passport” under the name Michael Jones.
His father, Robert Busby Evans, entered Canada on a UK passport in the name Justin Jones, also characterized as valid.
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, The Curry House in downtown Owen Sound, on August 17, 2023. After reportedly refusing to pay for their meal, the dispute escalated into a physical confrontation with restaurant owner Rahman, 44 years old.
During that dispute, police allege that Robert Jr. punched Rahman in the face with such force that multiple witnesses described a sound similar to a bowling ball being dropped from a height onto the sidewalk.
Rahman suffered critical head injuries and was transported to a London hospital, where he died one week later.
One by one, the men fled back to the UK. Robert Jr. flew to Heathrow on August 25; Barry and the fourth family member to Glasgow later that day. Robert Busby Evans followed days later.
Owen Sound Police Service (OSPS) were soon joined by the Ontario Provincial Police in an investigation that would become known for a level of secrecy rarely before seen in Canadian justice.
On July 30, 2024, Police Scotland arrested Evans and Busby Evans in Edinburgh, Scotland. Although Canadian police announced that an unknown number of arrests had been made, they released no details at the time.
Rumours swirled locally as the investigation continued with no new information forthcoming from investigators. Some suspected the perpetrators may have been in town for a popular music festival around that time; others wondered if they were connected to military exercises that had taken place at the nearby Meaford base.
Worse, an undercurrent of distrust and suspicion grew as many thought those responsible for Rahman’s death may still have been in the community, hiding in plain sight.
The truth has turned out to be far more complex.
Barry Evans’ arrest followed months later on October 29, 2024, in Dalkeith, Scotland and with that, the pipeline of publicly available information began again with a press conference in mid-December.
Despite their locations at the time of arrest, all three have last known addresses near Manchester, England. While their purpose for being in Scotland is not yet known, residents of that country report the same Irish Traveller traffic at their doorsteps, offering discount driveway paving, roofing, or other home renovation jobs.
Evans Family’s Return Long-Awaited by Owen Sound Residents
Extradition proceedings in Scotland began in April 2025. In a surprise turn of events, all three of the accused consented to extradition when they appeared in Edinburgh Sheriff’s Court on October 20, 2025. That meant dropping their argument that Canadian prison conditions would violate their human rights and waiving their right to appeal.
The OPP announced close to 10 p.m. on December 11 that the Evans’ had been escorted back to Ontario by OPP and OSPS investigators, with assistance provided by UK law enforcement members from the National Extradition Unit of the National Crime Agency and Police Scotland.
“I think it’s been awfully tough on Sharif’s family and friends to see it go on this long, so it’s good to see the case happening locally,” said Tim Nicholls-Harrison, who works in downtown Owen Sound.
“I would encourage community members to stop in at The Curry House and have a meal to show your support,” he added.
Reached by email Friday morning, Craig Ambrose, Chief of OSPS, told Owen Sound Current that getting the accused back in Owen Sound to appear before the courts has been a lengthy process.
“The court process should assist the community in healing and send a clear message that the justice system will do whatever is necessary to bring people before the courts,” Ambrose said, adding that it is “very rewarding to see this day unfold.”
“I am proud of everyone who has assisted in this investigation, from the community who provided information to the investigative team who have worked diligently to get to this point,” Ambrose said. “We would like to thank all of our justice and policing partners in Canada and the United Kingdom for their assistance in bringing the individuals before the courts.”
The investigation was conducted by the OSPS under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch, in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Coroner and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service. Assistance was provided by the OPP West Region Crime Unit, OPP Forensic Identification Services and the OPP Regional Support Team.
Hanover Police Service, West Grey Police Service, Police Scotland, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), Ottawa Fugitive Apprehension Support Team and UK law enforcement members from the National Extradition Unit of the National Crime Agency also provided support.
Robert Evans Jr. next appears in the Owen Sound Superior Court of Justice by video on Monday, December 15. Robert Busby Evans Sr. is scheduled to appear by video on January 7, and Barry Evans on January 12.
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