Michael Shields - Bulgaria

September 05

Michael Shields, an 18 years old football fan from Liverpool, travelled to Turkey to watch the Champions League final in May 2005. Michael and his friends travelled on a coach package including a stopover in Bulgaria on the way back.

On 30 May 2005 at 5am, a local man was attacked outside a café in Bulgaria by an English football fan, suffering a fractured skull.

Some 3 hours later, local police arrived at Michael's hotel and arrested several English guests. They were all taken to the local police station. Police later returned for Michael. Michael says that he was driven past the café so that the staff could have a good look at him. He was then made to participate in an identification parade.

Whilst in custody, Michael applied for bail but without success. His trial, which commenced on the 21 July 2005, lasted for 3 days. He was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for attempted murder.

Another football fan similar in appearance to Michael and staying at the same hotel as him, gave a statement confessing to the murder. This statement was disregarded.

Fair Trial Issues

FTA sent an observer to the trial, who noted the following:

1. The identification evidence was seriously flawed. The defence objected to the way it was conducted and even then, only one of the witnesses was able to positively identify Michael. Others witnesses later pointed Michael out at court and this was also taken to be positive identification.
2. There were some extraordinary admissions of evidence by the trial judge, e.g. a letter from the prison governor expressing his opinion that a pre-trial haircut request had been made by the defendant for the sole purpose of avoiding recognition. This was admitted into evidence without calling the governor to give evidence.
3. It was noted that none of the points raised by the defence with regards to evidence were considered; on the other hand, all suggestions by the prosecution were followed.
4. There was no forensic evidence. In particular, there was no DNA evidence to link Michael to the large rock that had been used in the attack.
5. The evidence given by café staff regarding the attack conflicted with other eyewitnesses’.
6. Michael's two roommates, the Holiday Rep from the hotel and two other men have stated that Michael was not at the scene of the incident. However, this evidence was rejected along with evidence that Michael was asleep in his hotel room at the time of the incident.
7. There is no CCTV of Michael’s movements in the hotel and the electronic swipe records were also not available. Excuses have been given but in the absence of DNA evidence, this was the only reliable and objective evidence as to Michael’s whereabouts.

Michael has appealed and this is likely to be heard on 14 October 2005. His appeal to have the sentence reduced failed on 9 November 2005