Michael Shields Is Innocent - Free Michael Shields

ON 30th MAY 2005, MICHAEL SHIELDS, 18, FROM WAVERTREE IN LIVERPOOL WAS ARRESTED IN BULGARIA FOR AN ATTACK ON A LOCAL BARMAN. A CRIME HE DID NOT COMMIT.

ON 26th JULY 2005, MICHAEL WAS FOUND GUILTY OF ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON, DESPITE A CONFESSION FROM THE ACTUAL MAN RESPONSIBLE.

AS YOU READ THIS, AN INNOCENT TEENAGER IS HELD IN A PRISON CELL WHILST THE GUILTY MAN WALKS FREE.

"On behalf of Michael, we his family would like to thank everyone from near and far who have shown both a fantastic level of support and an unwavering belief in our son's innocence. We would like to ask you to take a few moments to do whatever you can to help us in our quest for justice. Whether this be writing a letter to the Prime Minister, or Jack Straw, or your local MP, by signing the petition or anything else you feel may help. All your efforts are very much appreciated. We'd also like to thank everybody for their extraordinary generosity in donating money to assist with our expenses. We are very touched at the kindness of friends and strangers alike. With your help, we are sure that justice will prevail and that our innocent son will soon be back home where he belongs.

Thank you all and God Bless,"

The Shields Family

A message to visitors from Bulgaria

Welcome to Bulgarian visitors. There are those who may suggest that we are trying to interfere with your sovereignty or system of justice. This is not true. This campaign is about two human beings, both of them victims in their own way. Martin Georgiev, who suffered a terrible assault, and Michael Shields, who has suffered a terrible miscarriage of justice. We want justice to be served for both Martin and Michael and their families.

About this site

On this website you will be able to find out more about the Michael Shields case and his family's fight to secure justice. There are links to organisations which can help secure Michael's release. By contacting them, we can help to ensure that Michael is not forgotten by those with the power to right this wrong.

We are also appealing for donations to a fund set up to help Michael's family cope with the significant costs they are incurring in seeking Michael's release. This money will go towards flights, travel expenses and legal fees for Michael's lawyers.

You can join our mailing list and keep up to date with the latest developments in the case. As well as getting the latest news you can find out about past and forthcoming events organised in support of Michael.

The Bulgarian court which convicted Michael Shields did try to call self-confessed attacker Graham Sankey, but the Home Office rejected the bid to subpoena because not enough notice was given. Read More

Liverpool FC fans demonstrated support for Michael Shields' campaign with a mosaic, which read 'FREE MICHAEL', on the Anfield Kop, at the Reds' first home game of the season against Sunderland yesterday. More Pictures

Five coaches full of Michael's family and supporters will travel to Foreign Secretary Jack Straw's constituency tomorrow to hand out leaflets and put pressure on Mr Straw to intervene in Michael's case. Read More

The Shields family is to have talks with Jack Straw in London. Riverside MP Louise Ellman, who has backed the bid to free Michael Shields from jail in Bulgaria, said a meeting had been arranged for next Tuesday. Read More

Michael Shields' family will urge foreign secretary Jack Straw to help them during face-to-face talks next week. Michael Shields Snr is hoping Mr Straw will help him to persuade the Bulgarian government to accept new evidence in their 18-year-old son's forthcoming appeal. Read More

A Bulgarian court will hear the appeal by jailed teenage Reds fan Michael Shields on October 14. Supporters will step up their demands that the court should hear new evidence, which points to his innocence. Read More

A statement made by Graham Sankey to Bulgarian police after he attacked a barman was today being given to authorities in a bid to force him into court. In it, Sankey denied any role in the attack - which left Martin Georgiev fighting for his life - and claimed: "I hadn't seen anyone fighting." Read More

The father of a British teenager jailed in Bulgaria for a crime to which another man confessed, met Foreign Secretary Jack Straw yesterday. Michael Shields, 18, was jailed for 15 years after he was found guilty of the attempted murder of a man in Golden Sands, Varna, in May. Read More

Jack Straw has promised the family of Michael Shields the full weight of the British government is behind his freedom bid. Foreign secretary Mr Straw has ordered consular officials, lawyers and fellow ministers to support Michael's appeal due to be heard by a Bulgarian court next month. Read More

A new statement from the self-confessed guilty party will be needed to help free Michael Shields from his Bulgarian ordeal. Liverpool Labour Party leader Joe Anderson met yesterday with the governor of the Varna district, and is hoping to meet both Mr Shields and his legal team today. Read More

The parents of jailed teenager Michael Shields were today celebrating his 19th birthday with him in a Bulgarian prison cell. They flew to the city of Varna after being granted a special visit by prison bosses yesterday. Michael Shields Snr, 46, and wife Marie, 45, from Wavertree, took birthday cards from family and well-wishers to keep their son's spirits up. Read More

Several of Michael Shields' cousins and friends entered the 'Free Michael Shields' team in the Hillsborough Justice Campaign's annual 5-A-Side football tournament. With 20 teams entered they did very well against some quality opposition, eventually making the 3rd/4th place play-off game, where they sportingly allowed a team of youngsters to stand in for them. Many thanks to Craig and Karl from the HJC for their help and for the excellent organisation. For more information about the Hillsborough Justice Campaign please visit their website http://www.contrast.org/hillsborough/

Michael Shields must wait a month for the results of the appeal against his jail sentence. Michael's legal team asked for his charge to be reduced from attempted murder to assault or wounding, but after a legal discussion, the court retired to consider the request and return within four weeks. Read More

A call is to be made for Graham Sankey to surrender to police. Liverpool City Council's chief executive, Sir David Henshaw, has been asked to write to Mr Sankey asking him to present himself as soon as possible to the Bulgarian police for questioning about the attack on Martin Georgiev. Read More

Two football fans have come forward with fresh evidence which could help free jailed teenager Michael Shields. The men contacted Liverpool Labour party leader Joe Anderson after he officially appealed for new witnesses to the attack the 19-year-old was convicted of carrying out. Read More

The family of Michael Shields have welcomed a bid by the Foreign Office to have crucial new evidence accepted at his appeal. Minister of state Douglas Alexander confirmed his department urged the Bulgarian courts to interview Graham Sankey, who has confessed to carrying out the assault Michael received a 15-year sentence for, when considering the appeal two weeks ago. Read More

Prison bosses in Bulgaria have revoked privileges from Liverpool fan Michael Shields. The teenager who insists he is innocent, has had visiting times cut from an hour to 20 minutes after complaints from other inmates. Read More

Michael Shields today failed in a bid to have his 15-year jail sentence for the attempted murder of a Bulgarian barman reduced. Appeal court judges ruled that the 19-year-old student must serve the full jail term given to him following his trial in July. Only one of the three-man review panel argued that the sentence should be cut. Read More

Liverpool football fan Michael Shields yesterday failed in an attempt to have his sentence for the attempted murder of a barman in Bulgaria reduced. Michael's legal team now has 15 days to lodge an appeal with Bulgaria's supreme court where they will attempt to have the conviction overturned. Read More

A plea on behalf of Michael Shields is to be made in the House of Commons today. MP Louise Ellman is to mount a debate on the case of Michael Shields who has consistently claimed that he was in bed in his hotel when a barman, Martin Georgiev, was attacked with a rock and suffered serious head injuries during a street brawl in the Bulgarian resort of Varna. Read More

Michael Shields has written an emotional letter to the people of Liverpool from his Bulgarian prison cell. The teenager speaks of his pride in being a Scouser and thanks the thousands of people who have offered their support. Read More

The family of Michael Shields yesterday presented a petition to Downing Street signed by people from Merseyside, outraged at his 15-year sentence. They were also handing over thousands more messages of support from Japan, Canada, Australia, Germany, Holland, Ireland and other countries. Read More

Three generations of Michael Shields's family are to spend Christmas in Bulgaria. They will fly out on December 16 and plan to stay until the New Year. Michael's 26-year-old sister Melissa said: "We wouldn't dream of being anywhere else, we have never been apart over the seasonal period." Read More

A new witness has provided evidence in the fight to free jailed Reds fan Michael Shields from his Bulgarian prison. A holidaymaker has now come forward to reveal that he witnessed the brutal attack on waiter Martin Georgiev, and said: "I saw Graham Sankey do it." Read More

Michael Shields is to be moved to a new prison in the Bulgarian capital before his final appeal. The 19-year-old will be transferred to a larger prison in Sofia ahead of a supreme court appeal against his 15-year sentence in January. Read More

The treatment of jailed teenager Michael Shields could delay Bulgaria's entry to the European Union. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said that the European Commission has expressed reservations about the country's justice. A fair legal system is a vital qualification for EU membership. Read More

The family of Michael Shields have had their Christmas day visit axed by prison bosses. His parents, Michael Snr and Marie, along with their two daughters and two grandchildren, have flown to Bulgaria to be with the 19-year-old on Sunday. They thought Varna state prison guards had agreed to a half-hour visit and were only told the heart-breaking news yesterday. Read More

The prime minister of Bulgaria has promised a fair deal for jailed Reds fan Michael Shields. But Sergei Stanishev has warned that the UK must not interfere with his country's judicial processes over the treatment of the 19-year-old from Wavertree serving a 15-year sentence for attempted murder. Read More

The family of Michael Shields have spoken of their hope after his final make-or-break appeal was brought forward. Bulgarian officials have decided to move the crucial hearing from May to March 21. Read More

The Bishop of Liverpool was today banned from visiting jailed teenager Michael Shields. The Rt Rev James Jones planned to spend 30 minutes talking and praying with the 19-year-old in his Bulgarian prison cell. Read More

Graham Sankey today claimed he was not behind the attack for which Michael Shields is serving 15 years in jail. Outside Liverpool magistrates court, minutes after contesting a police bid for a football banning order, Sankey's solicitor read a statement in which Sankey retracted his confession. Read More

Michael Shields' father today urged Graham Sankey to stand by his original confession and help to free his innocent son from jail. Michael Senior, in Bulgaria with his wife Maria, was stunned by Sankey's U-turn outside Liverpool magistrates court yesterday. Read More

Michael Shields today started his final attempt to prove his innocence. Michael was jailed for 15 years in May after being convicted of the attempted murder of a Bulgarian waiter in the Black Sea resort of Golden Sands. Michael has always maintained his innocence, insisting he was asleep in his hotel room after returning from the Champions League final in Istanbul. Read More

The father of Michael Shields, jailed for 15 years in Bulgaria for a crime he insists he did not commit, said he was "hopeful" his son would be granted a re-trial. Michael Shields appeared in court in Bulgaria to appeal against his conviction for the attempted murder of a barman in the Black Sea resort of Golden Sands. The Supreme Court sitting in Sofia was adjourned after the hour-long hearing and judges are expected to reveal their decision at a later date. Read More

ITV1 are to broadcast a documentary on Tuesday 18th April - The Forgotten Fan: A Tonight Special (21.45-22.30) - in which one of the UK’s most experienced detectives, Peter Coles, former Head of Nottinghamshire Police’s Major Crimes Unit, re-examines the evidence and suggests there were fundamental flaws in the case against Shields.

A former senior police officer has labelled the jailing of Liverpool fan Michael Shields in Bulgaria for a crime he claims he did not commit as "a mockery of justice." The former head of Nottinghamshire Police's Serious Crime Squad, Peter Coles, who led more than 100 murder investigations, claims Bulgarian police made a series of errors over the teenager's arrest. Read More

Michael Shields is facing a nervous 24-hour wait to learn whether his final appeal against his conviction for attempted murder has succeeded. Tomorrow is the final day of the 30 days Supreme Court judges were given to reach a decision. Michael's family vowed never to give up on justice as they waited to hear if the teenager will get a re-trial. Read More

Michael Shields might have to wait until next month to learn his fate, his solicitor has said. Although a decision on Shields' appeal against his 15-year conviction for the attempted murder of a barman was expected this week, the court today reserved its decision and it could be May before it is known. Read More

Click Here to watch the video of the statement from Michael's solicitor.

Michael Shields' hopes of a re-trial and the chance to clear his name were dashed today after the Bulgarian court hearing his appeal cut his jail term to 10 years and increased his fine to £71,000. Michael was initially handed a 15-year prison term in July last year after being found guilty of an attack on Bulgarian waiter Martin Georgiev during a stay in the resort of Varna. Read More

Michael Shields will serve out the rest of his prison sentence in Britain. Judges in Bulgaria agreed to reduce the teenager's 15-year prison sentence by five years but refused to order a full re-trial for his conviction of attacking a barman. The Liverpool ECHO understands the 19-year-old will be on British soil within a month to serve out the remaining nine years. Read More

The father of Michael Shields said last night he was "devastated" after a Bulgarian court denied Michael a retrial. Shields appealed against his conviction to Bulgaria's Supreme Court last month and hoped the court would either overturn the conviction or at least grant him a retrial. The court yesterday reduced his sentence from 15 to 10 years but refused to grant a retrial. It also re-imposed a fine of £71,000, which had been reduced to £42,000 at an earlier appeal. Read More

The Bishop of Liverpool has called on the government to support the Michael Shields fight for justice. In a speech to the House of Lords, Bishop James Jones said there were "genuine concerns" over the safety of the teenager's conviction for attempted murder in Bulgaria. He said the flawed case against the student could affect Bulgaria's entry to the EU, deter tourism and hit trade and investment. Read More