advertisement
Sat, Feb 11 2012
Bulgarian court did a flawless job in convicting Michael Shields - Judge
Anthony Wilson and Michael Shields, standing, on trial in Varna on July 7 2005. Shields, Bradley Thompson, Graham Sankey and Anthony Wilson, were arrested and charged with the attack on bartender Martin Georgiev. Of the four of them Shields was sentenced to 15 years in jail.
No one should have even the slightest doubt about the Bulgarian court having done its job flawlessly in finding UK citizen Michael Shields guilty, judge Angelina Lazarova of the Regional Court in the Black Sea city of Varna told Bulgarian news agency Focus on September 9 2009.
Lazarova presided over the court panel which sentenced Shields to 15 years imprisonment for the attempted murder of Bulgarian bartender Martin Georgiev in 2005. In April 2006, Shields's sentence was reduced to 10 years, and seven months later he was transferred to the UK to serve the rest of his term.
Lazarova was asked to comment on the announcement by UK justice secretary Jack Straw that he had pardoned Shields after Shields's family presented Straw with "important new evidence" that had come to light, and that another man had made an oral confession to the crime in front of several other people.
Lazarova said: "We have to first see the contradiction in Straw's own position on the case, in the shortest interval of time he first said that the new evidence gathered by the Shields defence team was not enough to declare him (Shields) morally and technically innocent".
The question of new evidence in the case has been raised a number of times, she said.
"This first happened after we handed down our sentence. During the trial itself, there were comments about another person who had confessed to the crime for which Shields was put on trial. All these comments were included in the case and in our motives when reaching a verdict," she said.
This evidence had been presented to the Bulgarian Prosecutor-General's Office, which by law is the only authority which can say whether the case should be reopened.
"The Prosecutor-General's Office was categorical in its decision that all the evidence needed for the proper conduct of the case has been gathered and presented while the case was still in its first instance phase (Lazarova's panel). In this sense I have no doubt about the decision that we as the Bulgarian court took," she said.
The proof, she said, was the fact that the issue of Shields's guilt and involvement in the case was not questioned by the next two court instances and neither by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
"The ECHR's decision not to review Shields's plea only means that it has found that Shields's rights had not been harmed in any way by the Bulgarian court," Lazarova said.
"Otherwise Shields could have asked for the case to be reopened and Bulgaria would have been ruled against by the ECHR," she said.
"During the trial we questioned a number of people, and this is evident in the trial's records. You can see how categorical in their statements witnesses were. These statements were extremely accurate in recreating the scene of the crime, what happened there and that the man who had made the fatal blow on Georgiev's head was exactly this Englishman," she said.
She said that the case should not only concentrate on Shields alone.
"He was not pleased to hear our verdict sentencing him to 15 years in jail, which is the minimum penalty for such an offence, but I remember that together with Shields there was another UK citizen who was quite happy with the probation sentence the Bulgarian court gave him," she said.
Lazarova said that together with Shields, two other Brits were put on trial and were found guilty "but no one complains about them and they have never claimed that their rights have been harmed".
"One of these Brits struck a deal with prosecutors and admitted to the guilt and got probation while the other was prosecuted for possession of drugs," she said.
Lazarova presided over the court panel which sentenced Shields to 15 years imprisonment for the attempted murder of Bulgarian bartender Martin Georgiev in 2005. In April 2006, Shields's sentence was reduced to 10 years, and seven months later he was transferred to the UK to serve the rest of his term.
Lazarova was asked to comment on the announcement by UK justice secretary Jack Straw that he had pardoned Shields after Shields's family presented Straw with "important new evidence" that had come to light, and that another man had made an oral confession to the crime in front of several other people.
Lazarova said: "We have to first see the contradiction in Straw's own position on the case, in the shortest interval of time he first said that the new evidence gathered by the Shields defence team was not enough to declare him (Shields) morally and technically innocent".
The question of new evidence in the case has been raised a number of times, she said.
"This first happened after we handed down our sentence. During the trial itself, there were comments about another person who had confessed to the crime for which Shields was put on trial. All these comments were included in the case and in our motives when reaching a verdict," she said.
This evidence had been presented to the Bulgarian Prosecutor-General's Office, which by law is the only authority which can say whether the case should be reopened.
"The Prosecutor-General's Office was categorical in its decision that all the evidence needed for the proper conduct of the case has been gathered and presented while the case was still in its first instance phase (Lazarova's panel). In this sense I have no doubt about the decision that we as the Bulgarian court took," she said.
The proof, she said, was the fact that the issue of Shields's guilt and involvement in the case was not questioned by the next two court instances and neither by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
"The ECHR's decision not to review Shields's plea only means that it has found that Shields's rights had not been harmed in any way by the Bulgarian court," Lazarova said.
"Otherwise Shields could have asked for the case to be reopened and Bulgaria would have been ruled against by the ECHR," she said.
"During the trial we questioned a number of people, and this is evident in the trial's records. You can see how categorical in their statements witnesses were. These statements were extremely accurate in recreating the scene of the crime, what happened there and that the man who had made the fatal blow on Georgiev's head was exactly this Englishman," she said.
She said that the case should not only concentrate on Shields alone.
"He was not pleased to hear our verdict sentencing him to 15 years in jail, which is the minimum penalty for such an offence, but I remember that together with Shields there was another UK citizen who was quite happy with the probation sentence the Bulgarian court gave him," she said.
Lazarova said that together with Shields, two other Brits were put on trial and were found guilty "but no one complains about them and they have never claimed that their rights have been harmed".
"One of these Brits struck a deal with prosecutors and admitted to the guilt and got probation while the other was prosecuted for possession of drugs," she said.
-
Print
-
Send via email
- Translate to
-
Share:
Comments
To post comments, please, Login or Register.
Please read the The Sofia Echo forum comments policy.
European rights court facing huge backlog
Half a century after its creation, the European Court of Human Rights is facing an enormous backlog of cases, posing a major constraint to what is described as the world's most powerful human rights court.
Shields case judge: Sankey's testimony hindered by UK
Our efforts to have Sankey on the witness stand via video link were obstructed by the other side, judge Angelina Lazarova tells Focus news agency
Blog: Michael Shields and the media
The British tabloid campaign to get Michael Shields freed from jail could be a case study for spin doctors and activists.
British press react to Michael Shields' release
Liverpool press rejoice over Shields' release and ask why it took so long but the disagreement of Bulgaria's former foreign minister is noted.
Michael Shields' story in bookshops soon
Publishers would appear to be striking while the iron is still hot as Michael Shields' story goes on sale on September 21
Nothing good comes out of Shields's pardon, victim Martin Georgiev says
I want to see on what grounds Michael Shields was pardoned, Bulgarian bartender Martin Georgiev says.
In pictures: Michael Shields leaves prison
On September 9 2009 Michael Shields, who was jailed for 15 years for a violent attack in Bulgaria, was pardoned by UK justice secretary Jack Straw and left prison
Shields vs Straw election duel uncertain
Michael Shields father has neither confirmed nor denied the news he was running against Jack Straw, the man who pardoned his son.
More in this category
US embassy in Sofia announces youth essay contest
Works will be reviewed by a group of judges, and winners will receive certificates and prizes.
Bulgarian police bust drug distribution gang in ‘Operation Hammer’
Seven arrested, including ‘The Squirrel’ who was found in possession of 10 00 euro, Interior Ministry says. Mobile phones, computer equipment and drug paraphernalia seized.
Bulgaria’s winter weekend weather – cloudy and cold with light snow
Maximum temperatures across the country will remain mostly below zero.
Mild earth tremors in Bulgaria on February 10
The first tremor was at about 12.34am, followed by another three minutes later. Their epicentres were located between the towns of Radnevo and Topolovgrad.
Bulgaria halts electricity exports after power plant accident
There was no risk of blackouts caused by insufficient power supply, Economy Minister Traicho Traikov told Bulgarian National Radio.
© 2000-2012, Sofia Echo Media Ltd.
Web Design by RIZN
Sofia Echo Media is part of the Economedia Group.
The news and information content on this website is provided by our editorial team and is copyrighted.
Any unauthorised reproduction or use of it is strictly forbidden. Reproduction of this website's content is permitted only
with prior written permission from the Editor-in-Chief, should be propertly acredited and provide an active link back to our site.
Comments posted by the website's visitors are independent of the editorial materials and do not represent the views of sofiaecho.com.
Sofia Echo Media cannot be held responsible for the statements contained in visitor comments.
The percentаge change in the shares' prices are based on the price of the last transaction of the current session compared to the
price of the last transaction of the previous session. Bulgarian Stock Exchange data is not real-time, but updated every 15 minutes,
and should not be used as a basis for decisions about buying or selling stock options.
- Economedia Group portfolio:
- In Bulgarian:
-
Business:
Капитал,
Кариери,
Пазари,
Ho Re Mag,
Регал,
Градът.bg,
Одит,
Foton.bg,
Online shop
- News: Дневник, Европа, Foreign Policy - България
- IT: IDG.BG, Computerworld, PC World, CIO, Networkworld
- Entertainment: Бакхус
-
In English:
The Sofia Echo
Hm...Bulgaria,EU,US,UK....doesn't matter. If u kill you go to jail. End of story!
michael sheilds is innocennt and is at home with his family were he belongs!!!!!!!! scousegit you cant be a true scouser or you'd know he was innocent.
Stefcho, if you think that you are a special human being just because of your place of birth and citizenship you are wrong! You are nothing more special than any Bulgarian! You can`t maim or try to kill another human being and go unpunished! Actually, during the 1940`s a group of elitist bitches were thinking they were the superior nation and ended up on their knees. Think of their example! You should either respect the Bulgarians or get the f..k out of here, we will not miss you! We haven`t seen much good from your people, so perhaps we should [...]
Read the full comment turn back to the Russians as allies, unlike you they have always shown enough respect to our national honour. Before you say anything arrogant, read something about Iskander 9K720 and don`t think we depend so much on your blessings.
I agree with scousegit. Why don't we do away with juries and instead employ the bishop to look in defendants eyes!
One of the most memorable comments in the Shields fiasco is the ridiculous Bishop of Liverpool saying (on meeting Shields) "I looked into his eyes and I knew he was innocent". This twit should spend a bit more time in Church rather than wondering around the courts and streets of Liverpool and Bulgaria. He is a prize plonker and I bet if Shields was a black Liverpool man our messenger would not have jumped on this silly bandwagon to free a twerp who obviously threw the stone at the Bulgarian. Bishop James Jones is a media hungry fool who needs [...]
Read the full comment to say a little prayer concerning his obsession with lies and StupIdNess. I looked into the Bishop's eyes and knew he was a fraud and a charlatan. God help the people of Liverpool.
Stefcho,
don't be a jerk.
The question is not the Bulgarian justice, which is full of problems, but the principle that the enlighten Brits are supposed to champion and we are supposed to be aspiring to adopt.
What this shows is that we are right not to give a ... about due process. Crime and punishment is obviously a matter of political expediency in the UK as well as BG, that that is what makes this very sad..
What is amazing to me is that the Bulgarian court will go through all the expenses and everything to put a Brit in jail for a bar brawl and yet it still refuses to even consider putting it's own mafia types in jail for drug trafficking, prositution and battery. Who has been prosecuted for the bomb blast that when off on the front of the jounalist flat a few years ago? Who has been put in jail for the car homicide by a popular ice figure champion,no they give him probation and a promise I won't do it again and [...]
Read the full comment he still does it again. Bulgarians are hypocrites, they talk about law and order only when it comes to expats, when it comes to there own, they don't want to hear about it and that is just the simply truth, enjoy your freedom Michael, you deserve it.
I am not sure about Jack Straw, but
as far as the other Brits in the case are involved, one got probation, and the other was prosecuted for the possession of drugs - and we don't know what his sentence was. It is a bit different from being banged up for 15 years, so it is not so surprising they did not complain.
The thing is, if Michael Shields is innocent, someone else is guilty and they appear to have got away with it. Justice has not been served. Had forensic evidence been available, and the [...]
Read the full comment defence team able to question prosecution witnesses may be the Court would have reaached a different conclusion. The bartender's family must be really upset by all of this. But if Michael Shields
was innocent he should not have been convicted.
This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained не е по темата на статията
Why did the judge named above refuse to allow Shield's defence team to question any of the witnesses put up by the prosecution? Why weren't other members of the identity parade allowed to be spoken to by the defence team? Why couldn't the defence team speak to the arresting officer?
Why was no forensic evidence taken?
Instead of hiding behind technicalities, why not look at the case again and admit the trial was carried out in a panic?
It takes courage to do that, but I don't think [...]
Read the full comment Bulgaria have that courage.
Ahhh, the wonderful hypocritical and self entitled British bravado that I miss as much as colonialism.
The only law in BG
Bulgarian Law must step up to they 21 century!
We should of sent the SAS into sad Bulgaria American style to free Michael Shields when convicted.
So Madam Justice you rely upon a European Court of Human Rights decision to justify your local decision. "BUT" when a local defendant relies on a European Court of Human Rights decision to uphold their rights, you say that it is not binding on Bulgaria!!!
Sorry I forgot, this is Bulgaria!!
"The ECHR's decision not to review Shields's plea only means that it has found that Shields's rights had not been harmed in any way by the Bulgarian court," Lazarova said.
Sorry madam Justice you are wrong. The fact that the European Court of Human Rights refused to consider the case does not automatically mean there was no substance to the complaint. It means it was refused on procedural grounds and the ECHR never made ANY decision towards in terms of substance for the Bulgarian State.