Judge stopped public from knowing Pakistani rapist was asylum seeker after Lee Anderson unmasked 'vile' perpetrator

The attack took place in Mr Anderson's constituency of Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.

The Reform Chief Whip exposed Malik as an asylum seeker last year after he was arrested for targeting the 18-year-old while she was alone.

However, the judge suspended the public from being made aware of the rapist's asylum status until the conclusion of the trial.

Judge Nirmal Shant imposed the temporary reporting restriction to avoid a "substantial risk of prejudice to the administration of justice", Nottingham Crown Court heard.

The trial was switched from Nottingham to Birmingham due to increased public attention, where Malik was convicted on two counts of rape on Monday.

After the verdict, Mr Anderson said: "It's obvious that the police and the whole judiciary were very reluctant to allow the public the true identity of this vile creature. The public deserves better which is why I exposed the truth."

At the time of Malik's arrest last summer, the Reform MP claimed online that he had been asked to withhold his asylum status from the public, as "it may affect the trial".

"Enough is Enough," Mr Anderson wrote at the time in a post now deleted. "Why would it affect the trial?"

A jury took merely hours of deliberation to convict Malik at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday.

The court heard the victim had been at Sutton Lawn Park with her friend on the evening of June 29 last year, where the defendant was playing a game of cricket.

While the girl's friend left to meet another friend, one of the men led the 18-year-old into a secluded area and raped her.

The court heard Malik, who told housemates he was smuggled into Britain in the boot of a car, then dragged her to a tree by her hair before carrying out his own sex attack.

He took turns with his friend raping the teenager, before antagonising her by asking: "Did you enjoy that?"

The victim begged her friend via text, writing: "Please help me".

When asked why he took advantage of the victim, Malik replied in court: "What else was I supposed to do?"

Police are looking for Malik's alleged accomplice, who has been identified as an Afghan national and is believed to be on the run abroad.

At the time of the attack, Malik resided in taxpayer-funded temporary asylum accommodation in Ashfield. He spent periods in Italy, Germany and France before arriving in the UK.

"The man charged with this vile offence is an asylum seeker who has been living at Ashfield," Mr Anderson said at the time of Malik's arrest.

"I will not shut up and do not care about the consequences.

"This government is importing rapists, sexual predators, and other vile criminals into our country."

Malik will be sentenced at a later date.