Latest news with #RobertEvans
CBC
22-05-2025
- CBC
Scottish court reveals details surrounding death of Ontario restaurant owner
A Scottish court hearing has revealed new details about three men facing charges in the death of an Owen Sound, Ont., restaurateur, and the measures they allegedly took to escape police. Sharif Rahman, 44, was attacked outside of The Curry House restaurant in downtown Owen Sound, on Aug. 17, 2023, after confronting three men about an unpaid $150 bill. The 44-year-old husband and father of a young girl, died a week later in a London, Ont., hospital. Robert Evans, 24, faces a charge of manslaughter, while his father, Robert Busby Evans, 47, and his uncle, Barry Evans, 54, are charged with being accessories after the fact. All three appeared in Edinburgh Sheriff Court on May 22, for a preliminary hearing on an extradition request made by Canadian authorities. The court provided CBC News with exclusive access to documents prepared by the Ontario Provincial Police and Crown — containing details that Canadian authorities have so far refused to share with the media or public. The filings, along with testimony during the hearing, reveal that the men are members of an Irish Traveller community located near Manchester, England, and had been in Owen Sound — along with at least two other family members — for a number of days before the alleged attack. Robert Evans Sr. was reportedly working in the area, despite being in Canada on a visitor visa. Irish Travellers are a traditionally nomadic group similar to, but ethnically distinct from, the Roma people. Police were called to Rahman's restaurant at 9:23 p.m. for a report of an assault in progress, arriving minutes later to find the restaurateur lying on the ground outside, gravely injured. A witness to the confrontation told officers that he saw Robert Evans Jr. punch Rahman in the face, causing him to fall backward. As he hit the pavement, there was a loud thud, likened to the sound of "a bowling ball falling six feet from the air." It is alleged that Robert Evans Jr., his uncle Barry, and another, previously unidentified family member — Robert Justin Evans — were present during the altercation. The court was told that Barry Evans instructed Robert Evans Jr. to "run," then left to collect their vehicle, a grey SUV, picking him up from another downtown location. In the aftermath, all three men reportedly fled to Collingwood, Ont., 65 kilometres away. Robert Justin Evans has not been charged in connection with the alleged events. Court files reveal actions following altercation The procurator fiscal, Scotland's equivalent of a Crown prosecutor, told the court that cellphone records document "a flurry" of calls made to Robert Evans Sr. — who was not present at the restaurant — by all three men in the minutes and hours after the altercation. The senior Evans quickly left a local Owen Sound hotel where he had been staying with his brother. Surveillance photos in the court files show Barry Evans visiting the reception desk on two occasions the following day — first to retrieve what was left of their cash deposit, and then to request the return of their registration documentation and a photocopy that had been taken of his passport. That same day, Robert Evans Sr. reportedly arranged transport for his son to Toronto's Pearson International airport and booked him an evening flight to Manchester. To date, Canadian authorities have provided the public with almost no information about the case, refusing to specify why the accused were in the country, how and when they left, or discuss details about the altercation that led to Rahman's death. In August 2024, almost a year after the restaurateur's death, police issued a brief news release saying "arrests" had been made, but gave no further insights. It wasn't until Dec. 19 that year that investigators finally disclosed the names of their suspects and confirmed that the father and son had been apprehended in late July, and the uncle at the end of October. Police Scotland said at the time that all three had been arrested in the Edinburgh and Dalkeith areas in connection with an international warrant. Ontario court documents about the case remain sealed, and a CBC News request for a judicial review of the file has been pending since mid-March. Questions from CBC News about the case have gone unanswered, with the Ministry of the Attorney General, the Crown and courts all saying there is no "publicly available information" to share. Extradition hearing set for August The preliminary hearing in Edinburgh court is set to resume on in June, with a full extradition hearing set for mid-August. All three men remain in custody. Thursday's preliminary hearing ran well beyond the allotted time, as the court began the process of grappling with legal arguments about "dual criminality." The defence is asking whether the accessory after the fact charges made under Canadian law are similar enough to the "attempting to pervert the course of justice" charges that exist in Scots law to be dealt with by a single court, or whether the case needs to be tried in both countries. The arguments dragged on so long that a prison officer who was hand-cuffed to Barry Evans fell asleep in the box. A group of Evans family supporters watched the proceedings from the public gallery, calling on the men to "smile" and asking if they were alright. They said they had travelled from the Manchester area for the hearing, but refused to answer other questions. "It's a disgrace," said one of the men, suggesting the case should never have come to court.
CBC
09-04-2025
- CBC
Trio charged in death of Ontario restaurateur fight extradition from Scotland
Three men facing charges in the death of an Owen Sound, Ont., restaurant owner are fighting their extradition from Scotland with claims that Canadian jails are overcrowded and disease-ridden. Sharif Rahman, 44, was attacked outside of The Curry House restaurant in downtown Owen Sound on Aug. 17, 2023, after confronting three men about an unpaid $150 bill. The 44-year-old husband and father of a young girl died a week later in a London, Ont., hospital. Robert Evans, 24, faces a charge of manslaughter. His father, Robert Busby Evans, 47, and his uncle, Barry Evans, 54, are charged with being accessories after the fact. All three remain in custody pending extradition proceedings. At a preliminary hearing in Edinburgh Sheriff Court last week, their lawyer claimed that overcrowding and "harsh conditions" in Ontario provincial jails are "known issues" and should be considered in the extradition decision. The lawyer also raised concerns about access to health care, citing an outbreak in March of streptococcal A disease that killed two inmates at the Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton, Ont. The court was told that an expert's report on conditions at Canadian correctional institutions has been requested. Sheriff Julius Komorowski, who presided over the hearing, instructed the prosecution to liaise with Ontario authorities to determine where the three men would be held if extradited and to seek assurances about jail conditions. No family or friends of the accused were present during the proceedings. The trio are scheduled to return to court in late April for the conclusion of the preliminary hearing. Canadian authorities have provided the public with scant information about the case, refusing to discuss why the accused were in the country, how and when they left, or details about the altercation that led to Rahman's death. In August 2024, almost a year after the incident, police issued a brief news release saying arrests had been made. It wasn't until Dec. 19 that investigators disclosed the names of the suspects and confirmed that the father and son had been apprehended in late July, and the uncle at the end of October. Ontario court documents about the case remain sealed. Questions from CBC News about the case have gone unanswered, with the Ministry of the Attorney General, Crown and courts all saying there is no "publicly available information" to share.
BBC News
28-03-2025
- BBC News
Rotherham brothers who raped girls as young as 13 jailed
Two brothers who groomed and raped vulnerable girls as young as 13 in Rotherham have been Evans, 37, and Robert Evans, 40, carried out the abuse over a two-year period, starting in 2006, when they were about 18 and 21 years Crown Court heard the brothers would intimidate their victims, ply them with drugs and alcohol and lure them to locations where they attacked Friday, Robert Evans, of Thompson Close, was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment while Mark Evans, of Wharncliffe Hill, was handed a 14-year sentence. The pair, who had denied the offending, were found guilty of raping two girls, and Mark Evans was also convicted of a sexual offence against a third court heard that two of the victims had been plied with alcohol by the brothers on separate occasions before they were lured to different locations, including a barn and an alleyway, where they were raped. 'They were predators' In statements read out to the court, the women detailed the impact the abuse had on of them said she still suffered from severe panic attacks and recalled how she collapsed when she saw one of the brothers in Rotherham years woman said she had hoped to go to university but her life chances had been taken away "by these people who did these horrid things to me".A third woman said: "They were predators. They didn't care about me."I was a commodity in their eyes, a sexual possession." The brothers were arrested in August 2020 as part of Operation Stovewood, set up after the Jay Report found at least 1,400 girls were abused, trafficked and groomed by gangs of men in Rotherham between 1997 and the brothers were awaiting trial, NCA officers arrested and charged their sister, Ann Marie Evans, under the Sexual Offences Act, after she published social media posts identifying two of their 29-year-old, of Goldthorpe, was handed a six-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. 'Courage and strength' Speaking after the sentencing on Friday, NCA senior investigator Kim Boreham said: "I would like to recognise the courage and strength of the three victims in this case. "For almost 20 years these women have suffered the profound consequences of Mark and Robert Evans' crimes, while the two men continued their lives as normal."Samantha Thompson, specialist prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service, said the lifelong trauma caused by the brothers could not be understated."The Evans brothers targeted and groomed young girls including with alcohol and drugs, for child sexual abuse and rape," she said."This type of conduct has equally damaged the community confidence of Rotherham."Additional reporting by PA Media. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
The Independent
28-03-2025
- The Independent
Brothers jailed for raping teenagers in Rotherham
Two brothers who raped girls in Rotherham almost two decades ago have been jailed for 17 and 14 years respectively. Robert Evans, 40, who received the longer sentence, and his brother Mark Evans, 37, were about 21 and 18 years old respectively when they sexually abused teenagers as young as 13 in the South Yorkshire town over a two-year period, raping two of them, Sheffield Crown Court heard. The pair were both found guilty of raping two girls and Mark Evans was convicted of a sexual offence against a third teenager. Referring to one of Robert Evans's attacks on a 13-year-old girl, Judge David Dixon said he 'forcibly and viciously raped her' before laughing at her when she was clearly in pain. The judge said this was 'difficult to comprehend'. One of the girls who was attacked by Mark Evans when she was 13 said in a statement read to the court on Friday: 'They were predators. They didn't care about me. 'I was a commodity in their eyes, a sexual possession.' One of the girls who was raped said in her statement read to the court that she still suffers from severe panic attacks and collapsed when she saw one of the brothers in Rotherham years after, never returning to the town centre. Another of the women said in her statement that she had hoped to go to university but her life chances were taken away 'by these people who did these horrid things to me'. The Evans brothers, who appeared for sentencing by videolink from prison, denied the offences but a jury convicted them of two counts of rape each after a two-week trial last year, with Mark Evans also found guilty of sexual activity with a child and assault by penetration. The jury heard the brothers, who had a reputation for violence in Rotherham, intimidated the girls and plied them with drugs and alcohol before luring them to locations where they attacked them. One of the girls, who was 13 at the time, was given alcohol by Mark Evans before she and some friends went with him to a disused barn. He separated her from the rest of the group and raped her. The same victim was attacked by Robert Evans months later when he lured her to a house in Rotherham by lying that one of her friends would be there, plying her with alcohol en route, and raping her when they got there. Judge Dixon said he accepted Mark Evans had a learning difficulty which meant he still had a 'mental age said to be that of an older child heading towards their teenage years'. The pair were arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) as part of Operation Stovewood, which was set up in the wake of the landmark Jay Report which found in 2014 that at least 1,400 girls were abused by gangs of men of mainly Pakistani heritage in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013. The NCA says Stovewood is the single largest law enforcement operation of its kind undertaken in the UK and has identified more than 1,100 children involved in the exploitation between 1997 and 2013 – almost all girls. While the brothers were awaiting trial, NCA officers arrested and charged their sister, Ann Marie Evans, 29, of Barnsley, under the Sexual Offences Act, after she published social media posts identifying two of their victims. She was convicted and sentenced last year. Samantha Thompson, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'The Evans brothers targeted and groomed young girls including with alcohol and drugs, for child sexual abuse and rape. 'The lifelong physical and emotional trauma caused to victims by men like the Evans brothers cannot be understated. This type of conduct has equally damaged the community confidence of Rotherham. 'We would like to thank the victims in this case for coming forward and reporting this devastating crime. I hope this conviction sends a clear message that the CPS will continue to relentlessly pursue justice and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, whenever that abuse took place.' NCA senior investigator Kim Boreham said: 'I would like to recognise the courage and strength of the three victims in this case. 'For almost 20 years these women have suffered the profound consequences of Mark and Robert Evans's crimes, while the two men continued their lives as normal. 'These brave women have been determined to receive justice and the National Crime Agency has matched their resolve, ensuring the Evans brothers have been held to account.'
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
Brothers jailed for raping teenagers in Rotherham
Two brothers who raped girls in Rotherham almost two decades ago have been jailed for 17 and 14 years respectively. Robert Evans, 40, who received the longer sentence, and his brother Mark Evans, 37, were about 21 and 18 years old respectively when they sexually abused teenagers as young as 13 in the South Yorkshire town over a two-year period, raping two of them, Sheffield Crown Court heard. The pair were both found guilty of raping two girls and Mark Evans was convicted of a sexual offence against a third teenager. Referring to one of Robert Evans's attacks on a 13-year-old girl, Judge David Dixon said he 'forcibly and viciously raped her' before laughing at her when she was clearly in pain. The judge said this was 'difficult to comprehend'. One of the girls who was attacked by Mark Evans when she was 13 said in a statement read to the court on Friday: 'They were predators. They didn't care about me. 'I was a commodity in their eyes, a sexual possession.' One of the girls who was raped said in her statement read to the court that she still suffers from severe panic attacks and collapsed when she saw one of the brothers in Rotherham years after, never returning to the town centre. Another of the women said in her statement that she had hoped to go to university but her life chances were taken away 'by these people who did these horrid things to me'. The Evans brothers, who appeared for sentencing by videolink from prison, denied the offences but a jury convicted them of two counts of rape each after a two-week trial last year, with Mark Evans also found guilty of sexual activity with a child and assault by penetration. The jury heard the brothers, who had a reputation for violence in Rotherham, intimidated the girls and plied them with drugs and alcohol before luring them to locations where they attacked them. One of the girls, who was 13 at the time, was given alcohol by Mark Evans before she and some friends went with him to a disused barn. He separated her from the rest of the group and raped her. The same victim was attacked by Robert Evans months later when he lured her to a house in Rotherham by lying that one of her friends would be there, plying her with alcohol en route, and raping her when they got there. Judge Dixon said he accepted Mark Evans had a learning difficulty which meant he still had a 'mental age said to be that of an older child heading towards their teenage years'. The pair were arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) as part of Operation Stovewood, which was set up in the wake of the landmark Jay Report which found in 2014 that at least 1,400 girls were abused by gangs of men of mainly Pakistani heritage in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013. The NCA says Stovewood is the single largest law enforcement operation of its kind undertaken in the UK and has identified more than 1,100 children involved in the exploitation between 1997 and 2013 – almost all girls. While the brothers were awaiting trial, NCA officers arrested and charged their sister, Ann Marie Evans, 29, of Barnsley, under the Sexual Offences Act, after she published social media posts identifying two of their victims. She was convicted and sentenced last year.
