Accused in killing of Owen Sound, Ont., restaurateur extradited from Scotland to Canada
Listen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Three Scottish men accused of killing an Ontario restaurant owner after a dispute over an unpaid bill have been brought to Canada to face charges. The three men arrived in Canada on Thursday and are expected to make their first court appearance in Owen Sound on Friday. Sharif Rahman, 44, died in August 2023 in a London, Ont., hospital after being punched outside his Owen Sound restaurant after confronting customers who were skipping out on a bill, police have said.Robert Evans, 25, faces a manslaughter charge, while his father, Robert Busby Evans, 47, and his uncle Barry Evans, 54, are charged with being accessories after the fact. Officers from the Owen Sound Police and Ontario Provincial Police escorted the three men from the United Kingdom to Canada, police say. " We are aware of the impact this investigation has had on the victim's family and the local community. We are also deeply grateful to everyone who came forward with information to assist police during the investigation," police officials wrote in a statement. Rahman was a popular restaurant owner and was involved in business and social causes in Owen Sound. His death shocked the tight-knit community. He left behind a wife and young daughter. Sharif Rahman, seen here in this undated Facebook photo, died in a London, Ont., hospital in August 2023, following a dispute over an unpaid bill at his restaurant in Owen Sound, Ont. (Alysha Brilla/Facebook)Police allege that Robert Evans Jr. threw the punch that felled Rahman. Barry Evans faces an accessory after the fact charge for reportedly instructing Evans Jr. to "run," then driving him to Collingwood, an hour away. Robert Evans Sr., who wasn't at the restaurant, has also been charged as an accessory for allegedly buying an airline ticket for his son and arranging for his transport to Toronto's Pearson International Airport.Police say Evans Jr. departed on a flight to Heathrow airport in the U.K. on Aug. 18, 2023, the day after the altercation in Owen Sound. The uncle and another family member, who was at The Curry House but has not been charged, left that same evening on a flight to Glasgow. Evans Sr. followed a few days later, travelling to Manchester.Two of the men were arrested in Edinburgh in July 2024 and the third in Dalkeith in October 2024. They remained in custody and consented to extradition in October 2025, after initially indicating they would contest their removal to Canada. According to the Scottish court files, Evans Jr. and Sr. entered Canada as visitors in early June 2023, using valid U.K. passports with fake names — Michael and Justin Jones. They didn't have work visas. But police say the Evans family spent the summer criss-crossing the province, operating a cash-only business called Total Paving.The documents identify the family as part of the U.K.’s “traveller” community. A number of those tight-knit clans have been flagged by authorities for operating driveway repair scams that span the globe.
