UK campaign to free accused Brit

02:00 Mon 18 Jul 2005 - Staff Reporter

SUPPORTERS in the United Kingdom of Michael Shields, a UK citizen being detained in Varna in connection with an alleged attempted murder, have launched a campaign to free him, which includes a boycott of Bulgarian goods and trade interests in Liverpool.
Shields, 19, of Liverpool, Bradley Thompson, and Anthony Wilson, were arrested on May 30. The arrests followed an incident in Golden Sands the previous night, in which a 25-year-old Bulgarian was assaulted. The Bulgarian, alleged to have been hit with a brick or a paving stone, had serious head injuries and was admitted to hospital in a coma. After regaining consciousness, he attended an identity parade to point out the alleged perpetrators. He is expected to have further medical treatment.
The three British citizens were among a large group travelling through Bulgaria after watching Liverpool FC win the European Cup finals in Istanbul, Turkey.
Shields is being held in connection with an alleged attempted murder. The other two face charges of hooliganism, and Wilson with possession of illegal drugs. Thompson is on bail, while Varna prosecutors have ordered that Shields and Wilson remain in custody. A court application on June 3 for Shields and Wilson to be released on bail was rejected. The next hearings in the trial of the three are scheduled for July 21 and 22.
According to reports on July 6 and 7 in the Liverpool Echo (no relation to The Sofia Echo), a 20-year-old man was said to have committed the assault, and to have "confessed" on a flight out of Varna back to the UK, to have done so. However, the 20-year-old man told the Liverpool Echo that these allegations were not true.
Supporters of Shields say that he was asleep in his hotel room at the time of the assault.
Louise Ellman, member of parliament for the Riverside constituency in which Shields lives, has met Bulgarian ambassador in London Lachezar Matev. Matev was reported by the Liverpool Echo to have said that Shields would get fair treatment, and to have promised that the case files would be made available so that Shields's defence could be properly prepared.
Ellman was quoted as saying that she was "not satisfied" with Matev's statements, and would seek a meeting with UK foreign secretary Jack Straw.
A group of Liverpool FC fans who are supporting Shields have set up a bank account for donations, held a benefit concert on July 1, and were calling on people to approach various institutions, including the Bulgarian embassy in London, Bulgaria's Minister of Justice, and other senior UK, European Union, and Bulgarian officials and institutions, to assist Shields.
In a posting on the www.sofiaecho.com/forum website, a supporter of Shields said: "A general boycott on Bulgarian trade interests and exports is about to be launched in Liverpool. We urge people not to purchase Bulgarian goods, not to travel for business or vacation to Bulgaria, not to trade with Bulgarian expats, nor with foreign companies doing business in Bulgaria, until Michael is released and at home. We will be calling on our local businesses not to stock Bulgarian goods or sell Bulgarian travel services. This begins as a local boycott, but the longer this hideous injustice prevails, the wider the campaign will reach".

Comments

Comments by jon williams - 11:01 20 Jul 2005
	Contact Details: www.footballgiftsuk.com Tel: 0151-284-7604 Michael Shields, the young man being accused of a crime he did not commit in Bulgaria, will take a polygraph Lie detector test, to help clear his name. Will others follow suit? Kroll Inc, of New York and London, will be asked to consult and oversee this FBI type lie test.
Comments by bobby - 17:25 20 Jul 2005
	I would like to express my bitter disgust at the form the accident with Michael Shields is taking thanks to the efforts of so-called Shields Support Group. I am utterly devastated of the accusation you throw over the Bulgarian authorities which held the Liverpool fan rightly responsible for yet another piece of mad behaviour which earned the well-deserved reputation of the English fans abroad. How do you dare to plead him innocent when clearly hi was disrupting the order in the peaceful resort of Zlatni Piasaci where the accident occurred? Moreover all the parties involved in the brawl have stated that both Michael and his friend Anthony have been under the influence of alcohols and drugs during the ordeal. In our country we tend to detain people who are considered bad-behaving and dangerous. As far as I know it is the same with British police here. If a person is accused in a murder enquiry he has to remain in custody. This is said by the law in both countries. And this is exactly what the Bulgarian authorities are doing in the moment. There is no place to complain when someone (even if he is British) has to follow the rules. Although you, the British football fans, are widely known as troublemakers across Europe it should occur to you that for your own sake you must wait for the justice to be done before starting any such "innocent" activity campaign. And dont you worry about Liverpool boycotting the business from Bulgaria. We have survived the Communists for nearly 50 years and are still very much alive and kicking. Liverpool not buying Bulgarian goods won't stop our economy from being one of the fastest growing in Europe as well as it won't stop us welcoming more then 300 000 decent Britons visiting Bulgaria every year.
Comments by Lee - 22:18 21 Jul 2005
	On the night of the incident Micheal Shields reached his hotel before 2am, had to be let into his room by the hotel receptionist because he did not have a hotel room card to get in, as his friends who were still out had it. The incident happened after 5am. Three poeple aruging approched the hotel at 5.30 ish, they were seen by the same receptionist who noticed that 2 of them had been evicted from the hotel before, for bad behaviour, one of the three lads was a big fat person. This is how the hotel receptionist told the police how he remembers them and he knew Michael by his first name and did not give Michaels name in to the police. The big fat person and one of the other lads was arrested by the first two police offices at the hotel, the receptionist clocked off work at 7.30am, the first two police officers clocked off at 8am And when the next two police officers came on duty, they came looking for the third lad but arrested Michael by mistake because they just wanted the big one and told Michaels two room friends to go back into thier room , they took Michael to where the incident happened with hand cuffs on in the back of a police car, were local people gathered around the car looking at him, they then took him to the police station, he was then hand cuffed to the radiator which so called witnesses came in looking at him, he was then placed in a line up,with at least five Bulgarian dark skined lads and was made to wear a white T.shirt which he did not have on at the time of the incident, but the person who did this terribble deed was wearing one,after the line up Michael then had blood and urine tests taken, the witnesses who seen the incident said the lad who throw the slate was very drunk and looked to be on drugs, Michael was then hand cuffed back to the radiator and left till the following day. Meanwhile the friend of the first two lads who had been arrested was also arrested with drugs on him, his friend the big fat lad was released without charge but his two friends were charged. The following day Michaels blood and urine tests came back negative but was charged. Seven weeks later, is still locked up in a Bulgarian jail while the real culprit is still at large back home in Liverpool while Michael could be facing 20 years in jail. Is this justice or justice Bulgarian style !
Comments by liverpool - 10:45 23 Jul 2005
	Liverpool Echo Today - "I DID IT", BULGARIAN TRAIL SENSATION AS LIVERPOOL CITY MAN GRAHAM SANKEY SAYS: "IT WAS ME, NOT MICHAEL SHIELDS".
Comments by michael mclaughlin MD - 12:38 23 Jul 2005
	Dear Bulgaria (and UK), To clarify matters, we undertook to boycott Bulgarian property sales not to defend anti-social behaviour but to highlight apparent judicial malpractice. Michael (Shields) was hung out to dry on 'evidence' that wasn't even circumstantial. We do not defend bad behaviour. By protesting against Michael's situation it is ourselves who are ensuring the good behaviour - of the Bulgarian Police service. As someone else has subsequently admitted to this crime, and it appears that young Michael was in his hotel bed at the time it was committed we appear to have been vindicated. See how easy it is to put an eighteen-year old in a foreign gaol for life for a crime he did not commit. That is why we will not sell in Bulgaria. It could be my (or your) son next time! - Michael.
Comments by John - 10:36 24 Jul 2005
	The fact is, one of the group needs to be locked up for what happened. I saw this group and they were out of control. If it is another man, then he needs to fly over to BG and hand himself over to police. If Michael is innocent then the other idiots that were part of the hooligan group are totally responsible for his situation. It was the older guys that were the ring leaders. A message needs to be sent to British football hooligans that they are NOT WELCOME in BG.
Comments by Chris - 10:43 24 Jul 2005
	Lets hope that they do not send him away for 20 years. This will not solve anything. 2 or 3 years should be enough for him to think about what he has done. Otherwise he will end up killing someone. He obviously needs help.
Comments by Koos Jan Schouten - 07:52 25 Jul 2005
	Graham Sankey should be a real man and get on the first flight to Bulgaria and stand up for his deads instead of letting an innocent man take the blame. The Bulgarian police might have it wrong, but then all British Hooligans looks alike... If Mr Wankey doesn't show up I believe that the Bulgarian Government should put an arrest warrant out for him through Europol. People with much lesser crimes are being extradited from the UK. Football Hooliganism is as much a crime to mankind as any kind of terrorism.
Comments by J Fletcher - 13:52 26 Jul 2005
	Firstly to Michael’s family my thoughts and prayer are with you all at this distressing time. As for Graham Sankey he should be extradited to Bulgaria and face trail for the crime HE committed. He should also be ashamed to call himself a RED letting that lad be punished and kept away from him family when he is Innocent. DO THE RIGHT THING SIGN and end this family’s nightmare.
Comments by sandra povall - 18:09 26 Jul 2005
	iam very sorry at the out come of this how auful you must be feeling .how ever justice will be done and get the culpred who is iut there and trailed .so have faith and i will be saying a prayer for you all god bless .sandra povall
Comments by phil carney - 18:51 26 Jul 2005
	our thoughts are with the whole family.Michael should be released imidietly, the british goverment should do something about this straight away because this family has been through enough already,but the shields family and freinds have tried their best and they all look and sound so tired.I have just watched the main news on tv so come on liverpool and britain lets all do our part for this young lad what ever it takes I will be right behind you all.
Comments by joanne - 19:49 26 Jul 2005
	What a miscarriage of justice. I agree with the sentecing but only if the right man (Graeme Sankey) was accused. Michae Sheilds should never be in that court let alone in a Bulgarian Jail tonight. This lowlife Sankey is allowing this poor lad to suffer a fate that is undescribable. He should do the decent thing and take the 1st flight to Bulgaria and take the consequences. If you commit the crime then be prepared to do the time. My prayers go out to Michael and his family tonight and everynight until he is home and free again.
Comments by Phil owens - 20:19 26 Jul 2005
	The guilty verdict appears to be a complete travesty of Justice when you consider that another man has claimed responsibility.This case has made the Bulgarian legal system look like a kangaroo court. It is horrendous that a Liverpool thug chose to attack somebody with a paving slab but this appears to now be a case with two victims ... and the one responsible still at large. Free Michae nawl and apply for the extraditio of Graham Sankey to face up to the consequences of his actions
Comments by mike hale - 22:36 26 Jul 2005
	Those of you have wrote about him deserving this, is outrageous. He is innocent and this is not the act of a football hooligan. We are unaware of the facts of why and what happened but through someone elses confession and this mans plea of innocent it higlights that this is an act against the british people not a Liverpool fan. Its devastating to think an innocent man has fifteen years to serve in a Bulgarian prison. Something that isnt even worth thinking about.
Comments by denise - 23:21 26 Jul 2005
	Surely imprisoning a person when known to be innocent with evidence +++ to support the case is an act of gross injustice. Why are we sitting here having this conversation when the people at the top seem to be dragging their heels and getting paid megabucks for doing so. One world one justice - any thing else is unacceptable. Let the kid go - guilty of nothing other than being on holiday.
Comments by paul - 07:15 27 Jul 2005
	Sorry to hear of micheal's plight I hope that true justice is soon served and the lad can come home to his family. I hope our gov. will intervene and bring the boy home. Keep fighting I am sure the whole country his behind you. From a fellow Liv. Supporter. GOOD LUCK!
Comments by Jessica Smith - 15:18 27 Jul 2005
	Dear Michael, Our thoughts and prayers are with you Darling. Stay Strong. Hopefully one day you will read the messages of support to show you that we do care! We call for the people of the world to stand up for all types of injustice in all it's forms. In the meantime your family and you have our support we will we fight to put it right. xx
Comments by claire russell - 18:33 27 Jul 2005
	Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. Someone in authority should be able to do something about this situation.
Comments by laura newett - 18:37 27 Jul 2005
	My thoughts and prayers are with michael an d his family at this awful time they must be going through. someone has to do something about this situation before it is to late, he is only a young lad and he shouldnt be punished for looking like someone who attacked someone else. HE IS INNOCENT!!!!!!!!!
Comments by from Bulgaria - 09:28 28 Jul 2005
	Yeah, of course he is innocent, and Bulgarian judges are square idiots. It's that simple! They have spent years studying and practicing law: how could one possibly think that they could produce a thing other than "parody". Just for the record: no court (and I mean British courts too) could ever automatically convict anybody simply on the basis of a confession; proof is all that matters in court, not confessions.
Comments by Marc - 11:30 29 Jul 2005
	Keep your head up Michael lad, the whole of Liverpool is with you on this. I was there for the same reason as you lad in Golden Sands (Istanbul) and I got talkin to you and your mates everyday in Muppets/Bonkers etc. and you use to go to my school (Campion) and your a INNOCENT MAN and you dont deserve this. Graham Sankey has signed the form, so lets see what happens. Got your posters up in the windows and Ive donated money for your appeal, so I hope I have helped in your release. Always remember lad, YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE
Comments by whatever - 15:50 29 Jul 2005
	bulgaria is a welcoming country, which can be seen clearly from the numerous british and other nationalities on our seaside resorts every year. when the liverpool hooligans came here for trouble, they got what they were looking for. my thoughts are with the bartender that was hit with a brick, and michael shields must be in prison for as long as the court decides
Comments by E J CROSSLAND - 21:49 29 Jul 2005
	GOOD FOR THEM AND I AM GOING TO DO SOME LOBBYING BLOCK YOUR ENTRY TO EU BECAUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES
Comments by Anton - 16:29 30 Jul 2005
	The guy might be innocent, but let the court do its job. Do nto forget that a confession, even signed is not a proof for the court. To be taken into consideration it needs to be orally stated before the court. This is the same i British courts.
Comments by Harding - 16:47 30 Jul 2005
	A confession from a kid in the UK cannot be expected to stop the trial or negate the sentence considering how common the crime of false imprisonment is. There are numerous case examples in the UK of football hooligans taking the blame for others within their gang like organisations. If Sankey really did it then why dont the other gang members head over to the Sankey residence and send him back to Bulgaria? What can a UK court be expected to do about the crime. SEND SANKEY BACK, FREE MICHAEL SHIELDS!
Comments by Keith - 20:58 30 Jul 2005
	My one experience with British football fans in Sofia: Big, fat pink people wandering around performing loud, drunken antics. I'm not surprised this happened. The image of Brits tends to be refined, cultured and polite. Perhaps a lot of them are. But apparently the underbelly of British society looks more like neanderthal than modern man.
Comments by Tom Hendry - 12:37 31 Jul 2005
	Mike is innocent because he and l were together, in bed, in the Sands at 1.45 until 6pm., l am sorry that l couldn't stay but l had to come back to London.
Comments by mrs sheena dent - 13:26 31 Jul 2005
	the whole country should boycot bulgaria i was looking at buying a property there wouldnt even go for a holiday now let this lad come home hes been through enough hope he can one day put all this behind him
Comments by Harding - 16:00 31 Jul 2005
	Ha. A boycott of Bulgaria!! I am sorry but people will continue to go to Bulgaria as long as its still cheap. And also, Liverpool have just drawn a Bulgarian in the Champs league - as if they will stay home. I hope they do but I dont think they will.
Comments by British Thought - 16:27 31 Jul 2005
	Miscarriage of justice? Well, we've never had one of them before in the UK have we! If this case were in the UK it would not be attracting anything near the kind of publicity it is now. I feel sorry for Bulgaria, they tried to give this guy a fair trial, but with everyone jumping on the bandwagon critisising their institution, telling them how to proceed, reciving confessions with the coward refusing to intend, is it any surprise, they made a stand and found him guilty? The solicitor representing Sankey knew very well, that an unsigned confession has no weight in court, and a confession also needs evidence backing it up. Where is this evidence? It all still points at Michael Shields! As for the statement released by Sankey, this is another act from the coward. Now claiming self defence. He even states that the waiter that was injured was running at him with a bottle. This really is another disgusting example of a cowardly thugh trying to riggle out of the crime he did. In my opinion, kepp Shields locked up, until Sankey comes to Bulgaria, with the evidence, stands up like a man in court, tells the true story, accepts his punishment and apologises to Michael Shields, the waiter, the people of Liverpool and the population of Bulgaria. As for boycotting Bulgaria what a load of nonsense. Let's not forget we have a man confessing here, a Liverpudlian. What give's anyone the right to deprive the Bulgarian economy of much needed income. Remember, they did not ask for any of this trouble, they welcomed these people to their country and expected them to behave by their laws, they didn't and must pay the penalty. Liverpool football club, another European football season, another night of shame. When will people behave themselves. I'm embarassed to be English!
Comments by streetwise - 19:54 31 Jul 2005
	I am a Brit and I have lived in the Balkans for 4 years. What is happening in this case is no surprise to me. Behind the friendly facade welcoming the tourists (and their money) is a crude and corrupt infrastructure that runs right though local government, police, judiciary and beyond. Martin Georgiev wants his 70k and a bird in the hand (Bulgaria) is worth two in the bush (Liverpool.)
Comments by paula - 22:42 31 Jul 2005
	this boy should be allowed home until this horrible mess is sorted out. someone needs to pay for this assault but not an innocent man. let him come home and prove his innocence.we believe in you micheal!
Comments by John - 22:59 31 Jul 2005
	Under the influence of alchohol and drugs, people do things they would never normally do. Like Michael Shields attacking Martin Georgiev. Graeme Sankey is having a nice try at getting his "mate" Michael off by pretending he did it, however the Bulgarian police are obviously not so stupid to fall for this trick. As for boycotting Bulgaria, this is absurd. Should we boycott UK companies for "crimes" committed by the UK government? How about demanding the UK be expelled from the EU? I apologize if what I say is inaccurate and causes offence, like all these other postings, mine contains speculation.
Comments by Bulgarian - 00:00 01 Aug 2005
	Streetwise, how dare you saying that "Martin Georgiev just wants his 70K"? How arrogant can you get? The people of Bulgaria let these boys in their country and what did they get in return - a father of two almost killed. I am sure that Mr. Georgiev would have much rather this never happened to him. Please, stop being so ignorant and selfish and try for once to look futher than your nose
Comments by JP - 09:36 01 Aug 2005
	I have lived in the Bulgaria for 2 years and I must say that there are plenty of Brits like Streetwise who get fed up regularly with the system or lack of system here in Bulgaria. But the thing I hate the most, is that the majority of the British who come here (even the lowest dregs of society) think that they are better than the Bulgarians, and any thing that goes wrong they automatically start calling it communist style or corupt. I guess thats the way humans are. Yes there is a disgusting amount of coruption here, but how does that effect the case? If there is so much corruption, why didnt someone bribe the judge? A man tries to kill another man, he goes to jail. If there is evidence that the man is innocent then review the case, this is normal. Thank heavens CSKA just got caught playing unlicenced in Albania (so corrupt!) so they wont have to play Liverpool later in the month and we wont have these idiotic thick, uneducated(institutionally or not) fools over here again. LETS HOPE ALL THESE PEOPLE DO BOYCOTT BULGARIA ITS A WIN WIN SITUATION!!
Comments by orlin - 20:12 05 Aug 2005
	Shields is guilty and he will be locked here in BG for the whole 15 years. And you GB guys should not come in BG if you do not like it, all others are always welcome. CSKA Forever, we will at least try to make it very, very difficult for Lpool
Comments by 1 of the bulgarin 2 - 19:21 23 Aug 2005
	to all thease people who think bulgaria is hard done bye cause of all the criticism it has receaved from the uk press to do with the way micheal shields has been treated bye the bulgarian justice systerm.well to u all im not suprised bye all the criticism.one person said about the evidence against micheal shields. it seems to me that bulgaria dont no how to gather up evidence in any criminal case.there is one thing they do no how to do and that is lose evidence that is agianst the state of bulgaria.and they manefature evidence to help convict people.and as far as micheal shields having a fair trial is concerned.any one who thinks he could have a fair trial is living in dream land . how can u get a fair trial when the descition on wether ur inocent or guilty is made not just by the judge but allso the person who is prosocuting u.in the name of fairness .surely its better for the judge and only the judge should decide on the verdict.i no some thing about the bulgarian justice systerm.i have gone through it myself.in my case one of the 13 times i had to go to court the prosicution preduce a tachograght exspertto to give evedence against me.the only prob with this exspert was he did not no how to read a tachograghtand the evidence against me was a tachograght whitch they said proved the truck i was in drove round turkey.the prob with this tachograght was the date on it . it was dated after i was arrested.so there for when they say i was traveling round turkey i was in the prison.as far as any evidence agaist me that proved i comitted a crime in bulgaria . well i have been home in the uk for a few years now and still have no idear wat evidence they had against me.there was no evidence produced in any of the court hearing i had.yet i was still convited.with me some international lawers said i have a very strong case against bulgaria for wrongfull inprisoment if i went to the ueropean court.but bulgaria stop me doing that cause they would not let any one get all the papers concerning my case from the court house.so any one who thinks any one can get a fair trial in bulgaria is not living in the real world
Comments by nichola - 11:14 16 Apr 2006
	i think its totally wrong what is happening to michael, he does not deserve this. hope this can be sorted ASAP and he can return home!!!
Comments by vicky blackall - 00:27 19 Apr 2006
	i think it is a discrace they have no real evadince to convice shields they shouldnt jail him he is an inocent person!!!
Comments by stephen donnelly - 00:38 19 Apr 2006
	afther watching tonight with trevor mcdonald it is very very clear something is not right the police acted very bad and would not be excepted here in ireland his case has to reopened then the thruth will be told i am now going to see what i can do in ireland to get out NOW
Comments by Sharlene Tasker - 17:31 25 Aug 2006
	If the Bulgarian authorities and businesses do not want the self admitted 'football hooligans' to holiday in Bulgaria then there is only one answer - STOP BUILDING THE RESORTS. It is not Brian Surgery. Bulgaria may be able to survive without the economic investment of British people butif the boycott continues it will not help their obvious attempt to improve its economy by turning itself into a British holiday makers heaven.