New bid to free Michael Shields

Aug 21 2008

Michael Shields _320

A BRITISH judge will be asked to decide the fate of a Liverpool football fan Michael Shields who his held in jail despite "overwhelming evidence" that he is a victim of mistaken identity.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw has confessed that the case has troubled him more than any other.

But in a huge blow to MPs, clergy and civic leaders campaigning for his freedom Mr Straw decided last month that he is powerless to grant Michael, 21, a royal pardon.

Today Michael's legal team lodged a High Court application for a judicial review of Mr Straw's decision.

University student Michael was convicted in 2005 of the attempted murder of a barman Martin Giorgiev in the town of Varna five days after the 2005 European Champion's League final.

He has always maintained his innocence and insisted that he was asleep in his hotel room at the Black Sea resort at the time of the incident.

Another man, Graham Sankey later signed a statement admitting he carried out the attack.

Sankey later withdrew the confession but investigations have uncovered a wealth of evidence supporting the confession.

Michael’s legal team in Bulgaria exhausted the appeal process in that country and in August 2006 he was repatriated to serve the balance of his 10 year sentence in the UK,

But the case has continued to attract public attention with 17,000 signature petition was raised on the 10 Downing Street petition site, urging the British government to help.

Liverpool Labour MP Louise Ellman, North West Labour MEP Arlene McCarthy , Liverpool Labour Councillor Joe Anderson, and the Bishop of Liverpool Rt Rev James Jones are all supporting the campaign to free Michael.

Jack Straw himself has written to and met his counterpart in Bulgaria - Miglena Tacheva - to urge the re-opening of the case.

Foreign Secretary, David Milliband, has also written to the Bulgarian authorities urging them to act.

Other celebrities including Liverpool FC football players have supported Michael, as have Fair Trials International.

But Bulgarian authorities have refused to re-open the case or consider a pardon, instead reminding the British government of its power to grant a pardon under Article 12 of the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons 1983.

His UK legal team have tried to get the Bulgarian authorities to re-open and re-investigate the case and have made a number of further appeals.