More than a year after a well-known restaurateur in Owen Sound, Ont., was killed in a dine-and-dash that rocked the community, police have charged three men from the United Kingdom.
Robert Evans, 24, has been charged with manslaughter and Robert Busby Evans, 47, and Barry Evans, 54, have been charged with accessory after the fact in the Sharif Rahman case, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and city detectives said Wednesday.
Rahman, 44, a husband and father, was attacked on Aug. 17, 2023, outside The Curry House in downtown Owen Sound and later died in a London, Ont., hospital. Police and a witness said it happened during a dispute over an unpaid dining bill totalling approximately $150.
“The individuals are currently in the U.K. and are before the courts in relation to extradition. There are no timelines available for the extradition of the accused individuals,” police said in a statement.
Ontario Provincial Police Det. Insp. Jane Conway speaks at a news conference in Owen Sound on Wednesday announcing three U.K. men have been charged in the August 2023 beating death of Owen Sound restaurant owner Sharif Rahman. (Kate Dubinski/CBC)
In the days following the attack, police deemed Rahman’s death a homicide. They released surveillance footage of a suspect running away from the scene and a suspect vehicle.
Almost a year later, on Aug. 15, police said they had made arrests but refused to say who or how many people were take into custody, or if charges had been laid.
Rhaman’s death prompted an outpouring of grief and support for his family, with hundreds lining the streets for his funeral. His widow, left to raise their young daughter, has continued to run the restaurant.
Rahman opened The Curry House, serving vegan Indian cuisine, on 2nd Avenue East in downtown Owen Sound in 2015. His wife now runs the restaurant. (Michelle Both/CBC)
The Sharifur Rahman Memorial Scholarship was started this past summer with a gift from an anonymous donor to continue Rahman’s legacy of civic engagement.
Having come to Canada from Bangladesh more than a decade ago, Rahman had made a name for himself as a generous person who gave back through the donation of food and volunteer service.
