New details emerged about the 2023 death of Owen Sound restaurant owner Sharif Rahman during an extradition hearing in the United Kingdom.
The three men facing charges in relation to Rahman’s death had another preliminary hearing in their extradition cases Thursday at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in Scotland.
Rahman was assaulted outside his restaurant The Curry House on 2nd Avenue East in downtown Owen Sound on Aug. 17, 2023 and died one week later — on Aug. 24, 2023 — from injuries he suffered. He was 44-years-old, and left behind a wife and a young daughter.
Robert Evans is charged with manslaughter in relation to Rahman’s death. And two other men, Robert Busby Evans and Barry Evans, are charged with accessory after the fact.
To date, Owen Sound Police and Ontario Provincial Police have provided only scant details about the incident. But according to a CBC report, testimony during Thursday’s hearing in Scotland and related court filings provided more insight into what police believe happened.
Bayshore Broadcasting News has not been able to review the court documents, despite a request to the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service for access to independently verify them.
According to the CBC report, there was a confrontation between Rahman and three men over an unpaid $150 bill. Rahman was then punched in the face outside his restaurant, “causing him to fall backward.” Police found Rahman lying on the ground, seriously injured, when they responded to the incident.
The man charged with manslaughter, Robert Evans, allegedly punched Rahman in the face.
But only two of the three charged in the case were allegedly present at The Curry House; another family member who was dining that evening does not face charges.
The two men charged with accessory after the fact — Barry Evans and Busby Evans — are an uncle and the father of Robert Evans, the CBC report says. The OPP would not confirm if the three accused in the case were related when announcing charges last year.
All three accused are apparently members of an Irish traveller community who were in Owen Sound with at least a couple other family members for a number of days before the alleged assault on Aug. 17, 2023, the CBC reports.
- Lawyers For Accused In Sharif Rahman Case Take Issue With Canadian Prison Conditions
- Preliminary Extradition Hearing Thursday For Three U.K. Men Charged In Sharif Rahman’s Death
- Three UK Citizens Charged In Sharif Rahman Death
Another preliminary hearing in the extradition process will be held next month at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. A spokesperson for the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service confirms a final hearing is still scheduled August 14.
Last month, lawyers for the three accused argued the condition of Canadian prisons could violate their clients’ human rights, according to report by The Times UK. That issue was not settled during Thursday’s extradition proceeding and is expected to be addressed during the next preliminary hearing in June.
Extradition is a formal process where one country asks another for a person to be returned in order to face criminal proceedings in the requesting nation.
A public document describing the United Kingdom’s extradition process says it includes an initial hearing and extradition hearing. Appeals could potentially follow.
