Liverpool FC Forum

[Leonmc0708]

Liverpool Echo Story Link

THE case against jailed Liverpool fan Michael Shields could be reopened in Bulgaria, campaigners said today.

Lawyers acting on behalf of the 21-year-old are preparing a dossier of new evidence, which the Bulgarian government has not ruled out investigating.

The news comes after Bulgaria’s president Georgi Parvanov told British MEP Arlene McCarthy in a meeting yesterday that he would not pardon the student from Edge Hill.

But today, Mrs McCarthy said the president also told her that the case can be reopened in Bulgaria if they are presented with “sufficient new evidence”.

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Hope this come off for Michael and his family.

[redrover]

lads forgive my ignorance but what is the latest and why no update. ?cheers

[Owzat]

Sadly the muppets in this country are more keen to sign a petition to give lids their points back than for justice for Michael.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/list/open?sort=signers

The petition is still open for anyone who hasn't signed it

[god_bless_john_houlding]

next week on inside out BBC 1, there's a special about Michael Shields. 19:30 next Friday I think.

[Owzat]

The petition closed, I think the reason the petition got so relatively few signatories is the relative lack of exposure. You hear about lids all the time, Michael barely gets much mention.

Ridiculously I read on BBC that the decision over lids will be put back to just before the end of the season. How on earth can they do that? Teams will be unsure if their position will be affected, although maybe it is because they have no intention of restoring them and hope lids will be in a play-off position and 15 points would make no difference. Despite early season bravado by lids fans, they have long since dropped off that form and I've been monitoring the gap between lids and second hoping it exceeds 15 points and so their penalty would have made no difference. In all honesty I think they probably benefited from the penalty with their early season form, incentive which once the momentum had gone they struggled to keep up

[god_bless_john_houlding]

for anybody who missed it
inside out

[jonnymac1979]

for anybody who missed it
inside out

I SKY Plussed that last night.  Will give it a look this afternoon.

Going to be one huge piss up in this city the day that lad gets released.

[god_bless_john_houlding]

for anybody who missed it
inside out

I SKY Plussed that last night.  Will give it a look this afternoon.

Going to be one huge piss up in this city the day that lad gets released.

aye mate, every bar in Liverpool is gonna be chocker block when he gets out.

the show itself is a good watch, shows how he's been mistreated by the aurthorities of both nations really. (some of us had to watch it on the night though because we can't afford skyplus, cheers for rubbing it in you northend rich snob  )

[ivor_the_injun]

Got this today - the PM's office's response to the e-petition...

"Since the incident in May 2005 the Foreign and Commonwealth office has provided Mr Shields and his family with all appropriate consular assistance during their time in Bulgaria. As you know, we cannot interfere in the judicial affairs of another state as they cannot interfere in our own. However the FCO has helped to facilitate the transfer agreement with the Bulgarian authorities to allow Michael to serve the remainder of the sentence in a UK facility.

The FCO appreciates the concern over Mr Shields' conviction, but there is little more they can do to assist. As far as the Bulgarian authorities are concerned the case is closed and all appeal processes exhausted. The FCO is aware that Mr Shields' legal team made an approach to the European Court of Human Rights, but that this also failed. Given the European Court's ruling that the Bulgarian courts had not violated the European Convention on Human Rights by refusing to admit any further evidence after the trial had started, the FCO sees no grounds for their intervention. It is now for Mr Shields' legal team to decide on how to take his case forward."

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Shithouses - full blurb here:
http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page15433.asp

[Owzat]

I was about to post the same response I got. Pays to be a British citizen, work hard all your life and when it comes to the crunch they're powerless to actually help you.

[colle1986]

I agree with post above..........

[Reg]

Court bid for Liverpool fan jailed in Bulgaria -  Thursday, 21 August 2008


Lawyers for a Liverpool supporter jailed for the attempted murder of a Bulgarian barman three years ago will launch a new bid today to secure his release.

Michael Shields, now 21, was returning home after Liverpool's defeat of AC Milan in the European Cup final in Istanbul in May 2005.

He and his friends stopped over in the Bulgarian resort of Varna. After an incident in the town centre in which the barman was attacked, allegedly by Liverpool fans, Shields was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison, a sentence which was later reduced to 10 years. Subsequently he was transferred to a prison in Britain.

Shields has claimed throughout that he was in bed in his hotel when the barman was attacked, suffering severe head injuries. Since then, another Liverpool man admitted he was responsible for the attack, but later withdrew that "confession".

Shields is now serving his sentence at Haverigg prison in the Lake District.

His supporters, who have mounted a huge campaign on his behalf, are convinced he was wrongly convicted.

A few months ago Justice Secretary Jack Straw told Shields's supporters he had no jurisdiction to consider either a pardon or an early release for him, saying that that was the responsibility of the Bulgarian authorities.

Today, lawyers will lodge with the courts an application for a judicial review, challenging Mr Straw's ruling regarding "the power to grant a pardon to repatriated prisoners wrongly convicted in a foreign jurisdiction".

His MP, Louise Ellman (Labour, Liverpool Riverside), said: "This application for a judicial review is a vital step in securing justice for Michael Shields. It is important that there is legal clarity about who decides his future."

Mrs Ellman added: "I shall continue to fight for this young man until justice has been done."

If the application is successful, it does not mean necessarily that Mr Straw will order his release but it would mean that the power to do so would be his.

[Dundalk]

I heard there is going to be a bit of campaigning in Anfield next Monday night before the West Ham game.

Any truth in that?

[Dundalk]

That will be a Yes then.

Great to see

[Bad Bob]

An excellent showing by the Anfield crowd tonight.  Let's hope it has a positive impact on the upcoming hearing.