Three British men have admitted to the killing of a restaurant owner in Canada after a dispute over an unsettled bill. Sharif Rahman, a 44-year-old father, lost his life following a physical altercation with a British family in Owen Sound, located approximately 190km northwest of Toronto. Robert Evans Jr, aged 25, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, while his father Robert Busby Evans, 49, and uncle Barry Evans, 56, confessed to being accessories to the crime.
Rahman, who owned The Curry House restaurant, passed away a week after an altercation erupted when he confronted three men about an outstanding bill on August 17, 2023. The incident unfolded outside his eatery, where a disagreement over a £79 ($150) bill for a meal escalated. Evans Jr allegedly struck Rahman in the face, causing him to fall on the pavement and suffer a fatal head injury, as reported by CBC.
Discovered on the street by a staff member, Rahman sustained a skull fracture and brain hemorrhage from the fall. Despite being kept on life support for a week, he tragically succumbed in the hospital.
Robert Busby Evans and Barry Evans, sentenced to time served plus one day, have been processed for handover to Canadian authorities for repatriation to the UK. Prior to sentencing, Justice Christopher Chorney emphasized the seriousness of the assistance provided by the Evans family members in aiding their relatives to evade justice post the offense.
The resolution of the case aims to provide closure to the community and alleviate the anguish for Rahman’s family, according to Justice Chorney. Robert Evans Jr is awaiting sentencing, with a proposed three and a half-year term under consideration. The judge is expected to deliver the verdict on July 10.
Believed to hail from Manchester, the men were in Canada on tourist visas at the time of the incident and swiftly returned to the UK post the event. Arrested in Edinburgh and Dalkeith by Police Scotland, they were extradited to Canada last year to face trial with their consent, as confirmed by the BBC.