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Fri, May 25 2012
Miscarriage of justice?
Michael Shields after his release from a UK prison on September 9.
Michael Shields during the trial in Varna in 2005.
U-TURN: According to UK justice secretary Jack Straw the new evidence he saw led to the conclusion that Michael Shields was ‘morally and technically innocent’.
RAPTUROUS RECEPTION: On September 12 Michael Shields attended his first football game since the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul. He watched English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Burnley at Anfield.
Timeline
• May 30 2005: Barman Martin Georgiev is subjected to a vicious assault in the Black Sea resort of Varna.
• July 2005: Liverpool supporter Michael Shields is convicted of the attempted murder of Georgiev.
• October 2005: Shields appears before a court in Varna to appeal against the sentence.
• November 2005: The appeal court decides not to reduce Shields’ sentence.
• March 2006: Shields appears in the Supreme Court of Cassation in Sofia to appeal against his conviction and demand a retrial.
• April 2006: The court reduces the sentence from 15 years to 10 years, but refuses to grant a retrial.
• October 2006: A statement by the foreign office confirms that Shields will finish his sentence in the UK. Reportedly, the Bulgarian authorities refused to release him to a British prison until a fine of 90 000 pounds sterling was paid.
• November 2006: Shields arrives in the UK to serve the rest of his sentence.
• May 2007: Judges at the European Court of Human Rights reject an appeal filed by Shields.
• November 2007: Hopes rise that Shields could be released when the Bulgarian government says the British government has the power to pardon him. Ellman uses parliamentary privilege to name Graham Sankey and another man as launching the assault. She claims two men present at the attack had identified the duo, and that four new witnesses had come forward backing Shields’ innocence.
• January 2008: Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov tells British MEP Arlene McCarthy that he will not pardon Shields.
• October 2008: Shields wins the right to a judicial review.
• November 2008: The bishop of Liverpool, James Jones, speaks of the "travesty of justice" of the case.
• December 2008: The judicial review of Shields’ case is heard at the high court. Significantly, two senior judges rule that the justice secretary does have the "power and jurisdiction" to exercise the ancient royal prerogative of mercy in his case.
• June 2009: UK prime minister Gordon Brown says Straw would make the "best and fairest decision" he could after reviewing the papers in the case.
• July 2009: Straw provisionally refuses an application for a royal pardon.
• September 9 2009: Straw issues Shields with a royal pardon.
• May 30 2005: Barman Martin Georgiev is subjected to a vicious assault in the Black Sea resort of Varna.
• July 2005: Liverpool supporter Michael Shields is convicted of the attempted murder of Georgiev.
• October 2005: Shields appears before a court in Varna to appeal against the sentence.
• November 2005: The appeal court decides not to reduce Shields’ sentence.
• March 2006: Shields appears in the Supreme Court of Cassation in Sofia to appeal against his conviction and demand a retrial.
• April 2006: The court reduces the sentence from 15 years to 10 years, but refuses to grant a retrial.
• October 2006: A statement by the foreign office confirms that Shields will finish his sentence in the UK. Reportedly, the Bulgarian authorities refused to release him to a British prison until a fine of 90 000 pounds sterling was paid.
• November 2006: Shields arrives in the UK to serve the rest of his sentence.
• May 2007: Judges at the European Court of Human Rights reject an appeal filed by Shields.
• November 2007: Hopes rise that Shields could be released when the Bulgarian government says the British government has the power to pardon him. Ellman uses parliamentary privilege to name Graham Sankey and another man as launching the assault. She claims two men present at the attack had identified the duo, and that four new witnesses had come forward backing Shields’ innocence.
• January 2008: Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov tells British MEP Arlene McCarthy that he will not pardon Shields.
• October 2008: Shields wins the right to a judicial review.
• November 2008: The bishop of Liverpool, James Jones, speaks of the "travesty of justice" of the case.
• December 2008: The judicial review of Shields’ case is heard at the high court. Significantly, two senior judges rule that the justice secretary does have the "power and jurisdiction" to exercise the ancient royal prerogative of mercy in his case.
• June 2009: UK prime minister Gordon Brown says Straw would make the "best and fairest decision" he could after reviewing the papers in the case.
• July 2009: Straw provisionally refuses an application for a royal pardon.
• September 9 2009: Straw issues Shields with a royal pardon.
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UK commentators analyse Jack Straw's decision
Commentators fail to understand the reasoning behind justice secretary Jack Straw's decision and wonder if political expediency lay behind it
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.
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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 is pardoned by UK justice secretary Jack Straw
Justice Secretary Jack Straw pardons football fan Michael Shields after a long campaign by Shields' parents, Liverpool football club and local MP.
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