Our evidence can’t help campaign to free Shields

Nov 23 2007 by Alan Weston, Liverpool Daily Post

TWO potential witnesses in the Michael Shields case last night insisted they did not have any new information which might free the 21-year-old.

It follows a statement made in the House of Commons by Liverpool Riverside MP Louise Ellman on Tuesday night, under the protection of Parliamentary privilege, in which she named the men she claims committed the attack for which Michael Shields was jailed.

Ms Ellman said key witnesses had named two men – Steven Clare and Graham Sankey – as the perpetrators of the attack on Martin Georgiev in May, 2005, for which Shields is serving a 10-year sentence.

She named the two witnesses as Bradley Thomson and Anthony Wilson. But yesterday they broke their silence and, in an exclusive interview, said they had no information which could materially affect the campaign to free Shields.

Ms Ellman read from a statement that claimed Steven Clare punched Mr Georgiev, before Graham Sankey dropped a large rock on his head in the Bulgarian resort of Varna, following Liverpool FC’s Champions League win in Istanbul.

She said this was based on the testimony of Thomson and Wilson, who were both present at the scene of the crime and found guilty of lesser offences.

According to the statement, both men made it clear that Michael Shields was not present at the scene and that neither of them knew him.

But Thomson, while admitting he was present, said yesterday he was too far away to be able to describe clearly what happened, while Wilson denied being at the scene of the incident at all, although he was in Bulgaria.

They said they both gave evidence to this effect when they appeared before the Belgian court which later jailed Shields.

Both were convicted of public order offences, with Thomson receiving a suspended prison sentence, while Wilson was jailed for 30 days.

But Cllr Joe Anderson – who has been leading the campaign to free Shields – last night poured scorn on their claims and challenged them both to take a lie detector test, which he would also take and would pay for.

He claimed they had been put under pressure to change their stories because they were scared of Clare and Sankey, and that it would not affect his campaign to free Shields.

Cllr Anderson said his witness statement was based on a meeting he had with Thomson and Wilson at a McDonalds restaurant earlier this year. But, while the two 21-year-olds confirmed the meeting had indeed taken place, they differed from Cllr Anderson in their account of what was said.

They said that since their names were made public, they had each received about 30 texts and phone calls about it, and they were now frightened of being accused of being “grasses”.

Bradley Thomson said: “This has been a bombshell. It looks like we’ve pointed the finger and named people, when we haven’t. Our names have been dragged into this and we just want to put the record straight and get on with our lives.”

Both said they knew Clare and Sankey, but they were “friends of friends”.

Paul Beck, a solicitor at Quinn Barrow, who is representing the pair, said: “This statement made by Louise Ellman is creating false hope that these guys can help in the campaign to free Michael Shields.

“They both accept they’re no angels, but to have all this thrown at them is unfair.”

Shields is serving his sentence in the UK after being convicted of the attack in the Black Sea resort where many Liverpool FC fans celebrated their historic win in the final against AC Milan.

Cllr Anderson is arranging a meeting with the Justice Secretary Jack Straw to push forward the campaign to free Shields.

When told about the comments made by Thomson and Wilson, he said: “I stand by every bit of information I’ve got.

“They are backtracking now because they are fearful of reprisals. ”

I saw the incident – but no-one wants to listen

ANOTHER witness who claims he saw the attack on Martin Georgiev says he is prepared to do what it takes to free Michael Shields.

The Liverpool football fan, who wishes to remain anonymous, claims he witnessed the attack that Shields is serving 10 years for, and says the 21-year-old was definitely not present.

He said: “I saw a lad pick a rock up, run across the road, run past the waiter on the floor . . . and drop it on his head. Michael Shields was not there, he was not one of this group. I gave this statement over two years ago; no-one seems to want to listen to it.

“I will go over to Bulgaria and meet with Government ministers, meet with Jack Straw. He is locked up and he shouldn’t be.”