The Sharif Rahman Case: Complete Coverage
Complete coverage of the Sharif Rahman case: Robert Evans Jr., Robert Busby Evans and Barry Evans, from the 2023 Owen Sound homicide to the 2026 sentencing hearings.
From an Owen Sound Restaurant to a Scottish Courtroom and Back: The Case Against Robert Evans Jr., Robert Busby Evans and Barry Evans
Sharif Rahman, 44, was punched once outside The Curry House, the downtown Owen Sound restaurant he owned, on the night of Aug. 17, 2023. He had gone out to stop a group of men who left without paying a $145.43 bill. He died a week later, leaving a wife and a young daughter.
Then, for the better part of a year, the community heard almost nothing. Police released two grainy photos and little else — no names, no arrests, no explanation. The silence stretched on, the speculation filled it, and the community was left to wonder whether anyone would ever be held to account.
Three UK men eventually were. Robert Evans Jr., who entered Canada under the alias Michael Jones, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced on July 10, 2026, to three and a half years. His father, Robert Busby Evans, who used the alias Justin Jones, and his uncle, Barry Evans, each pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact and were sentenced to time served on June 5, 2026.
The case crossed two countries and took nearly three years: arrests in Scotland, a contested extradition fought through Edinburgh Sheriff Court — which we attended in person — the men’s return to Owen Sound, and, finally, three guilty pleas and three sentences. Only afterward did police explain the silence. They had identified the men early, they said, and stayed quiet deliberately, to keep them from fleeing beyond the reach of extradition.
The men who came to Owen Sound were not travelling under their own names. Robert Evans Jr. entered Canada as Michael Jones; his father, Robert Busby Evans, as Justin Jones. Their passports were British, and the Canada Border Services Agency confirmed they were valid. They were going door-to-door across Southwestern Ontario as part of a small crew offering driveway paving services for cash.
It took police until early September 2023 — with information from partners in the U.K. — to establish that the Joneses and the Evanses were the same men.
Owen Sound Current didn’t exist when Sharif Rahman died. We soft-launched that October, and one of our first stories asked what had happened to him. We have followed it ever since. This page collects everything we’ve published.
Most of the articles below are archived and available only to paid subscribers. Subscribing is what makes coverage like this possible.
What Happened to Sharif Rahman?
It’s been over two months since the assault at The Curry House that claimed the life of 44-year-old restaurateur Sharif Rahman.
Arrests Made in Fatal Assault of Sharif Rahman in Owen Sound
Police have made arrests in the ongoing investigation into the fatal assault of 44-year-old Sharif Rahman, a local restaurateur, who was attacked on August 17, 2023, in downtown Owen Sound.
Three UK Men Charged in Sharif Rahman’s Homicide
24-year-old Robert Evans, a citizen of the United Kingdom, is charged with manslaughter. 47-year-old Robert Busby Evans and 54-year-old Barry Evans were each charged with accessory after the fact.
Sharif Rahman Homicide Case: Court Hears Extradition Arguments & New Details
The three men charged in the 2023 death of Owen Sound man Sharif Rahman had a third preliminary hearing in an Edinburgh courtroom on Thursday afternoon.
Robert Evans Jr., 24, is charged with manslaughter in the deadly August 17, 2023, assault outside Rahman’s restaurant, The Curry House.
Rahman Homicide Case: Canada Given August Deadline to Address Prison Conditions in Extradition Case
Prison Assurances Disconnect Puts Rahman Homicide Extraditions at Risk
Canadian federal authorities say they have already provided the information requested in the extradition proceedings for three men accused in the 2023 killing of Owen Sound resta…
Three Accused in Sharif Rahman Homicide Case Returned to Owen Sound After Extradition from Scotland
Sharif Rahman Case: Evans Family Makes First Appearance in Owen Sound Court
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…
Sharif Rahman Homicide Case Inches Ahead as Evidence Reaches Defence Counsel
The homicide case arising from the 2023 death of Owen Sound restaurateur Sharif Rahman returned to court this week, with two of the three accused appearing separately in the Ontario Court of Justice in Owen Sound.
Three Guilty Pleas Entered in Sharif Rahman Case; Robert Evans Jr. Arraigned for Sentencing
The three U.K. men charged in the 2023 homicide of Sharif Rahman pled guilty in the Ontario Court of Justice in Owen Sound this morning. Justice C. Chorney accepted their pleas and heard arguments — and statements of apology — before remanding Robert Evans Jr. (also known as Michael Jones), 25, back into custody until July 10 for sentencing.
Robert Evans Jr. Sentenced to Three and a Half Years for Fatal Punch That Killed Sharif Rahman
Robert Evans Jr. was sentenced to three and a half years Friday for the manslaughter of Sharif Rahman, closing the criminal case into the 2023 death of the Owen Sound restaurateur — a case that drew police…
Letters and tips may be submitted to owensoundcurrenteditor@gmail.com