Free Michael Shields

Lindaloo

I just read about Michael yesterday, please sign the petition on his site and help free this poor young man. Such an injustice

http://www.freemichaelshields.org

hullaballoo

Moved to AH.

Terry

free hat.

Ag marbh

Very unfortunate thing to happen and it's sad that this type of thing happens more than it should. On a positive note, he says the people hes in prison with are friendly and they seem to be treating him ok. Many places like the Bankwang prison in Bangkok tend to be full of these cases and the prisoners get treated very bad.

Jimi-Spandex

He killed a man. He deserves to be in jail.

end of.

super_furry

Jimi-Spandex wrote:

He killed a man. He deserves to be in jail.

end of.

You either have no idea what you're wittering on about or are trolling. Either way, comments like that are flamebait. Would you have said the same of the Birmingham Six?

Actually, just browsing your past posts about people from Liverpool eating rats would lead me to believe you're a troll.

MrJoeSoap

Jimi-Spandex wrote:

He killed a man. He deserves to be in jail.

end of.

How about...

He didn't kill a man. He doesn't deserve to be in jail.

End of.

county

this has been discussed to death in the soccer forum and it was a heated thread,cant wait to see how this pans out

passive

Not entirely sure about this... Without even getting started about online petitions.

He doesn't seem so definitely innocent when you read about it here. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/08/07/nshield07.xml
rather than on freemichaelshields.org

Not saying he did it... just that it's possibly not so black and white...

Pigman II

He is twice refered to as a 'gentle giant'. Going by this and his photos Shields is presumably a particularily tall and fat guy in turn making for a particularily identifiable individual?

Add to this the number of people who consistently identified Shields, and the irregularity & possible motive behind Sankeys confession it all seems a bit dodgy.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Pigman II wrote:

He is twice refered to as a 'gentle giant'. Going by this and his photos Shields is presumably a particularily tall and fat guy in turn making for a particularily identifiable individual?

Add to this the number of people who consistently identified Shields, and the irregularity & possible motive behind Sankeys confession it all seems a bit dodgy.

Please clarify or provide your backup on
1) The number of people who consistantly identified Shields
2) The irreguarlity

Also, your use of the word 'possible' indicates you don't believe the motive holds water either and the confession is true.

joker77

Reading that Telegraph article suggests that there was a whole lot more to it than the Bulgarian Police just rounding up the nearest blonde-haired Liverpool fan....

danniemcq

wasn't there huge uproar few months back about him sayin that he had done it???

/hijacks thread for a good cause

www.wm3.org

fade2black

What do you think a petition will do?

Pigman II

.

Ikky Poo2 wrote:

Please clarify or provide your backup on
1) The number of people who consistantly identified Shields

telegraph wrote:

Daniela Krumova, a waitress working at Big Ben's, identified Shields as the person who hit Mr Georgiev with the slab

Danail Yordanov, also working at Big Ben's, recognised Shields as the person who hit Mr Georgiev with the slab.

Vassil Todorov, who was in Big Ben's at the time of the incident, told the court that he saw Shields taking part in the fight. "He was standing over Martin Georgiev and had foam coming out of his mouth," he said.

He (Sheilds) was repeatedly picked out by witnesses in identity parades,

Ikky Poo2 wrote:

2) The irreguarlity

How Mr Sankey could be so certain that the man he had injured was Mr Georgiev was puzzling.

Ikky Poo2 wrote:

Also, your use of the word 'possible' indicates you don't believe the motive holds water either and the confession is true.

telegraph wrote:

Mr Sankey issued a confession via his solicitor that he was indeed the man who had nearly killed Mr Georgiev. Mr Sankey was not, however, prepared to stand trial. His expectation seemed to be that Shields would now be set free and the matter forgotten about.

popebenny16

What do you get this free Mickey Shields with? A Cereal? Isnt this just SPAM?

cournioni

Instead of freeing Michael Shields, Liverpool FC should concentrate on who the feck did attempt to murder Martin Georgiev. There is absolutely no sympathy being shown to Georgiev or his family, it all seems to be going the way of Michael Shields.

As MP Boris Johnson says, "Self pity city"

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

No, spam is a meat product....

Pigman 2/Telegraph (whoever wishes to respond)

How come the Bulgarian witnesses recognitions are all considered accurate, but Sankeys redognitions - in the words of the peper "How Mr Sankey could be so certain that the man he had injured was Mr Georgiev was puzzling" - is considered dubious?

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

PORNAPSTER wrote:

Instead of freeing Michael Shields, Liverpool FC should concentrate on who the feck did attempt to murder Martin Georgiev. There is absolutely no sympathy being shown to Georgiev or his family, it all seems to be going the way of Michael Shields.

As MP Boris Johnson says, "Self pity city"

Someone doens't like Liverpool...?

cournioni

Ikky Poo2 wrote:

Someone doens't like Liverpool...?

It wouldn't be one of my favourite places...

cournioni

Ikky Poo2 wrote:

Someone doens't like Liverpool...?

It wouldn't be one of my favourite places...

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

You've been, then?

cournioni

Numerous occasions...

danniemcq

huh someone with MUFC in their sig and sayin bad things about liverpool, thats a first

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

I know... can't be all bad if he's been ther on 'numerous occasions'... (And passing through off the ferry doesn't count!)

WellyJ

He's a scouser isnt he?

Whats the big deal?

kdevitt

I originally thought the guy was guilty as sin, but having read up properly on it its obvious the guy has been shafted.

The identity parade consisted of him, and a load of Bulgarians being lined up, Sankey was left in his cell to sober up while the identity parade went on. 'Eyewitnesses' have different accounts of how the guy was hit over the head, and evidence from a hotel porter who placed Shields in the hotel at the time of the incident wasn't heard in court.

Fair Trials Abroad are campaigning on his behalf, - http://www.fairtrialsabroad.org/?m=View&action=DocumentContent&L1=5&L2=19&id=281&secId=5

Its also not unexpected that Utd fans tend to go off on one about him, its a bit like Harold Shipman being sung about.

Initially thought he was innocent, now seems to me to be as guilty as sin. Frankly if he and his colleagues (or cousins apparently) lied and lied and muddied the waters, it's realy a case of tough luck and they certainly shouldn't benefit from it. Imagine if an Irishman was almost beaten to death by (say) visiting Ukranians, and they told conflicting stories thinking they could outsmart our system, and then from the safety of their home thousands of miles away said that they would give statements setting out yet another version of events but wouldn't stand over them in an Irish court. They must think the Bulgarians are complete fools.

It did result in one of the funniest comments in recent years when Jamie Carragher criticised the Bulgarian legal system. That would be from his years of studying the topic I guess, or maybe his masters in international law.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Probably a bit better than yours...

Oh, and your sources, please..?

PORNAPSTER

PORNAPSTER wrote:

Instead of freeing Michael Shields, Liverpool FC should concentrate on who the feck did attempt to murder Martin Georgiev. There is absolutely no sympathy being shown to Georgiev or his family, it all seems to be going the way of Michael Shields.

As MP Boris Johnson says, "Self pity city"

It's a bit sad that on this day, the 21st anniversary of the deaths of 39 Italian fans at Heysel, certain Liverpool fans would still be arguing that one of their number who was convicted of an extremely violent incident was innocent. The word 'respect' springs to mind.

Blisterman

Online Petitions are a waste of time. You'd be better off writing a letter.

cournioni

Ikky Poo2 wrote:

I know... can't be all bad if he's been ther on 'numerous occasions'... (And passing through off the ferry doesn't count!)

At United away games...

cournioni

Deleted User wrote:

It's a bit sad that on this day, the 21st anniversary of the deaths of 39 Italian fans at Heysel, certain Liverpool fans would still be arguing that one of their number who was convicted of an extremely violent incident was innocent. The word 'respect' springs to mind.

And even at Heysel the Liverpool fans blamed Chelsea fans for causing the deaths of the 39 Juventus fans. Keeping in mind that it was a match between Liverpool and Juventus... Sure lads... It was the Chelsea fans...

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Are you guys just making this up because you're Man United fans, or do you have sources?!! Good Christ, the Nazi propoganda machine wasn't this active!!!

Ikky Poo2

Ikky Poo2 wrote:

Are you guys just making this up because you're Man United fans, or do you have sources?!!

No interest in Liverpool one way or the other to be honest. Follow Cork City FC, keep an eye out for Leeds results across the water. That's about it. Certinly don't care about the ManU - Liverpool thing.

So wher is the Telegraph lying anyway? What bits are they making up?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/08/07/nshield07.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/08/07/ixhome.html

Ikky Poo2 wrote:

Good Christ, the Nazi propoganda machine wasn't this active!!!

When in doubt refer to Nazis.

Incidentally, still no comment about Heysel on this day? You still think this thread is entirely appropriate on the anniversary of the most infamous day of football violence?

cournioni

Ikky Poo2 wrote:

Are you guys just making this up because you're Man United fans, or do you have sources?!! Good Christ, the Nazi propoganda machine wasn't this active!!!

*Ahem*

'No Scousers dress like that ,' he said, 'and it was clear they had just come for trouble.' Liverpool chairman Smith issued a statement saying that the troublemakers were NF supporters, probably from London, and that a shot had been fired before the worst part of the riot.

from http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1448503,00.html

Jimi-Spandex

super_furry wrote:

You either have no idea what you're wittering on about or are trolling. Either way, comments like that are flamebait. Would you have said the same of the Birmingham Six?

Actually, just browsing your past posts about people from Liverpool eating rats would lead me to believe you're a troll.

Okay, firstly that chant I posted is one in support of Park Ji Sung and is just banter. I don't honestly believe that everyone from Liverpool eats rats and lives in council houses. It is meant in jest. You have to admit that it is quite a light hearted chant compared to some of the muck that gets flung by both sets of fans.

Secondly, I have actually read quite alot about this incident. Originally I did support the man's cause, it looked like he had been stitched up. When I'd read a bit more about it alot of the points made by the free shields groups seem to be slightly dubious. Quite a few things latched on to seemed to me to be "nitpicky". You will find in any criminal case that if you throw the flood lights only on certain aspects of the case it will look doubtful, i.e. an inconclusive line up, a confession made on the condition that the confessor wouldn't face the rammifications. It's not very convincing, to me at least, when you look at it closely.

What annoys me about this is its the typical british superiority complex regarding foreign countries legal systems/cultures. Oh they do things differently in Bulgaria, those savages have no idea how to conduct a fair trial or investigation.

Do you honestly trust the word of a bunch of drunk lads on a holiday over the workings of a soverign nations legal system? I know bulgaria has its problems but really, come on?

Anyway, I know my views on this matter will be dismissed as typical Man Utd anti-scouse bullshit and I can understand why. You must also understand why it is a little hard to believe why so many people jumped on this bandwagon with scant knowledge of the facts simply because he is a liverpool fan.

I'm not going to bother debate this anymore, as I have done to death elsewhere and I'm sure you have.

Guy:Incognito

Jimi-Spandex wrote:

Okay, firstly that chant I posted is one in support of Park Ji Sung and is just banter. I don't honestly believe that everyone from Liverpool eats rats and lives in council houses. It is meant in jest. You have to admit that it is quite a light hearted chant compared to some of the muck that gets flung by both sets of fans.

Secondly, I have actually read quite alot about this incident. Originally I did support the man's cause, it looked like he had been stitched up. When I'd read a bit more about it alot of the points made by the free shields groups seem to be slightly dubious. Quite a few things latched on to seemed to me to be "nitpicky". You will find in any criminal case that if you throw the flood lights only on certain aspects of the case it will look doubtful, i.e. an inconclusive line up, a confession made on the condition that the confessor wouldn't face the rammifications. It's not very convincing, to me at least, when you look at it closely..

If it was you in jail would you consider any points, however small, in your favour to be "nitpicky"?

Jimi-Spandex wrote:

Do you honestly trust the word of a bunch of drunk lads on a holiday over the workings of a soverign nations legal system? I know bulgaria has its problems but really, come on?.

Would you trust the words of , oh I dont know, 2 random groups of lets say 4 and 6 irish people over the british legal system?

Dub13

PORNAPSTER wrote:

Instead of freeing Michael Shields, Liverpool FC should concentrate on who the feck did attempt to murder Martin Georgiev.

This has absolutely nothing to do with Liverpool Football Club.

Guy:Incognito

I just read the telegraph article now. I've seen the tv program and read a good bit from various sources. The telegraph article saya that the victim idenified shields as the guy who hit him and the witnesses said he dropped the brick, yet the witnesses said it was two different people (one hit him, the other dropped the brick). The english guy that was in the restaurant and argues with the lads. was he not on the trevor mcdonald program about it saying it wasnt shields? Where is he in the telegraphs story?
as well as that, the anti shields people seem to focus on the fact that if the 2 groups had rooms next to each
other, they must know each other. wtf? I couldnt tell you who was in the rooms either side of me on any of my foreign holidays.

Dirk Gently

I could be wrong but I remember following this story a while ago and another English football supporter actually admitted to the attack but because of whatever extradition laws are between the two countries he couldn't legally be extradited as he was already back home in Liverpool when he owned up.

This is seen as the reason why Michael Shields is still held. Someone to blame and an illusion of justice for the family of the victim. A scouse murdered one of ours so we’ll lock up a scouse. (Any scouse) If they released Michael Shields it is unlikely they would get the real murdered to stand trial.

dermot_sheehan

Ok bearing in mind the only information I know on this case is from the Telegraph article, if this has happened in Ireland or the UK he would have been locked up. There were multiple eye witnesses who independently identified him as the perpretrator of the horrendous assault.

His defence was bs, and the judges and juror members decided wasn't credible. Apparently the defence claimed he was asleep at the time, and for some reason multiple eye witnesses came in to see him asleep. I don't know about you but if I was on a jury assessing the credibility of witness testimony that would not seem credible. The only other defence, is a "confession", a statement that is inadmissable, because it's not on oath (so if the testator lied in the statement he could not be prosecuted for perjury).

Face it, you go to a forgein country, you submit to its justice system. The bulgarian justice system is fair, and based on what was said seems to have come to a fair conclusion. You bash someone's head in with a pavement stone, and nearly kill them, you serve 15 years in prison, it's justice. The brits seem to have this incredible superiority complex with regard to forgein justice systems, despite the fact that their own one made some horrendous mistakes in the not too distant past.

Guy:Incognito

gabhain7 wrote:

There were multiple eye witnesses who independently identified him as the perpretrator of the horrendous assault.
.

Hardly, they were all workers in the same restaurant. They had plenty of time and inclanation to corroborate stories.

dermot_sheehan

What inclination would they have though to frameup the wrong person. They'd want the person who actually carried out the assult in jail, not some random brit. And how would they have plenty of time? It's not like they'd have a discussion after the assult with their friend bleeding on the ground about who to stitch up, they'd be in shock, they'd be interviewed by the police, the police would then independently take them to the police station to identify the perpretrator from a line up, that's how these things happen. There would have been no time to conspire, there would have been no motive to conspire.

Contrast with the defence, who seem to claim that the defendent was in bed, but for some reason all his mates were up and wondering in and out of his room for various apparent reasons, verifying that he was there. How credible does that sound? Do you think the judges and jurors are eejits? I can imagine it being torn to threads under cross examination.

fade2black

These things really amaze me. None of you people were present at this crime yet you all seem convinced about his guilt or innocence. Is it possible that a humanatrian issue has acually come down to a dispute between rival soccer fans.

Out of curiousity...are there any pool fans that think Michael is guilty? Any opposition fans that think he's innocent?

dermot_sheehan

I was not at the scene, I'm relying on the evidence as reported that was presented to the judge and jury. The evidence is multiple direct eye witness testimonies of actualy involvement in the attack vs. an alibi defence that does not seem credible in the slightest.

cournioni

Dub13 wrote:

This has absolutely nothing to do with Liverpool Football Club.

Yes, this had absolutely nothing to do with Liverpool Football Club...

http://www.freemichaelshields.org/mosaic/fmkopmosaic1.jpg

It was a Liverpool fan that dropped the slab. Liverpool FC should be helping the Bulgarian police to find the offender rather than just assume that Shields was innocent.

Dub13

PORNAPSTER wrote:

It was a Liverpool fan that dropped the slab. Liverpool FC should be helping the Bulgarian police to find the offender rather than just assume that Shields was innocent.

Believe me I am well aware of most aspects of this case.Clubs are not responsible for the actions of there fans 100s of miles from games,if this was the case Rangers should be helping the PSNI convict that youth who killed a Celtic fan up the north a few weeks ago.

Guy:Incognito

gabhain7 wrote:

What inclination would they have though to frameup the wrong person. They'd want the person who actually carried out the assult in jail, not some random brit. And how would they have plenty of time? .

They could well want to make sure they got someone for attacking their friend. The tv program also stated that they were together for a few hours and that michaels shieds was handcuffed to a radiator in the lobby of the police station overnight for all to see before the line up. It's very easy to convince yourself that a particular person is the perpetraitor especially if the police have arrested him.

PORNAPSTER wrote:

It was a Liverpool fan that dropped the slab. Liverpool FC should be helping the Bulgarian police to find the offender rather than just assume that Shields was innocent.

Are Utd involved in every crime commited by a person who happened to pick utd as their team to support?

Degsy

Who gives a damn about an alleged murderer and his football alliances?This whole football "we did this" and "you did that" from fans is pitifull..talk about something meaningfull.

fade2black

Dub13 wrote:

Believe me I am well aware of most aspects of this case.Clubs are not responsible for the actions of there fans 100s of miles from games,if this was the case Rangers should be helping the PSNI convict that youth who killed a Celtic fan up the north a few weeks ago.

Well that's probably the stupidest thing I'm going to read all day.