The Ashfield gang rapes was a series of attacks involving indecent assault and rape which were carried out in Ashfield, New South Wales, Australia over a six-month period in 2002. Four Pakistani brothers and a Nepali student were convicted and imprisoned for the rapes. Perpetrators The Khan brothers were referred to in court reports by their initials only, as two of the brothers were 16 and 17 at the time of the crimes. The fifth defendant, Ram Shrestha, was a Nepalese immigrant and friend of the "K" brothers. As of July 2005, MSK was 26 years old, MAK, 25, MRK, 20, and MMK, 19. As of 2003, Shrestha, also referred to merely by his initials, IB, was 25. The eldest, MSK, was married with a six-year-old son as of 2005. They had grown up in Pakistan and had been brought to Sydney in 2000 by their father, who provided them with a house in Ashfield. He unsuccessfully attempted in court to provide an alibi for his sons, and was facing perjury charges at the time of his death in November 2006. Trials News media were banned from reporting on the trials until July 2005 to prevent tainting the jury pool. In 2003, all five defendants were found guilty of "aggravated sexual assault in company" committed on 28 July 2002. In April 2004, the four brothers were sentenced to a total of 70 years' imprisonment over the 28 July assaults. Ram Shrestha had hanged himself in his prison cell on or about 15 April 2004, a week before the sentencing. In late 2004 three of the brothers appealed against their sentences, but their appeals were rejected in November 2005. In the March 2005 trial of MSK, MAK, and MMK for the February rapes, MSK divulged the K brothers' 2003 convictions in open court, a fact which had been kept from the jury to ensure a fair trial. Prosecutor Ken McKay suggested MSK's outburst appeared "calculated" to have the trial aborted. The trial was aborted for MAK and MMK, but not for MSK. MSK initially fabricated evidence that he had "consensual" sex with a 14-year-old, before admitting in late 2005 that he had lied. MSK, as well as his barrister, argued that MSK's actions were influenced by alcohol and cultural conditioning. MSK apologised to his victim in court and said that he understood his actions were wrong now that he better understood