Michael Shields - Bulgaria

Last updated: 21 July 2011

Football fan found guilty of murder without fair evidence

Michael Shields, at the age of 18, travelled to Turkey to watch Liverpool FC play in the Champions League final in May 2005. While on a stop in Bulgaria, a local man was attacked outside a café, in an incident involving English football fans. Later that day, local police arrived at Michael's hotel to arrest him. The only evidence against Michael was identification from witnesses obtained after a manipulated identification parade. Michael was found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced to 15 years’ in prison despite evidence that he was not at the scene of the incident but asleep in his hotel and in the absence of any forensic evidence. Another man admitted to the crime and signed a confession but the Bulgarian courts refused to take it into account. Fair Trials International observed his trial to be fundamentally flawed.

In 2006, Michael Shields was transferred back to the UK to serve the remainder of his sentence. Fair Trials International continued to campaign for his release and on the 9th September 2009, Michael was granted a Royal Pardon.