I believe Michael Shields is guilty of attempted murder by dropping a paving slab on a Bulgarian waiter’s head, putting him in a coma for 4 days.
I find it worrying and bizarre that Jack Straw sees fit to grant Michael Shields a ‘Royal Pardon’ in the light of an ‘oral confession’ made by another individual when Shields’ parents just happened to pay him a visit.
Particularly, when Jack Straw was fully aware of this information when Shields returned to serve out the rest of his sentence in England back in 2006 and rejected an appeal as recently at 2 July 2009.
I believe that the Bulgarian authorities correctly discounted the written confession of Graham Sankey, made way back in July 2005 from the safety of England, on the condition that he didn’t stand trial.
Michael Shields was involved in football related violence. He should be serving 15 years in jail for a vicious, unprovoked attack. He should not be feted in the press as a gallant returning war hero. He should not be allowed to attend another football match and should be the subject of a banning order that prevents him from travelling abroad.
But he won’t. Michael Shields will be leading the team out at Liverpool’s next home fixture and leading the singing of ‘You’ll never walk alone.’
I don’t know how the friends and family of Martin Georgiev feel but I feel sick to my stomach and ashamed to be British.