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Michael Shields to return home

WeAreTheBest

By WeAreTheBest,
in FF - Football Forum

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WeAreTheBest Grand Master

WeAreTheBest

Posted
Posted

According to a post on RAOTL, our lads put in 27k aswell. People might think its not a lot when they earn a million or more each week between them but they werent obliged to donate anything so fair play to them

 

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/liverpoolecho/news/echonews/tm_headline=shields-to-come-home%26method=full%26objectid=17950703%26siteid=50061-name_page.html#

 

JAILED Michael Shields is finally set to return home to Britain.

 

The 20-year-old's desperate family have borrowed enough money to pay off his entire £90,000 fine.

 

The money will be paid to the Home office next Monday and wired to the Bulgarian government to allow Michael's transfer to a British jail.

 

He is serving 10 years for the attempted murder of a Bulgarian waiter, a crime he insists he did not commit.

 

Michael said: "I'm just trying to stay optimistic and I'm over-whelmed by the generosity of the people back home. Their help has been amazing.

 

"I've been trying to keep my head down and get on with it but I'm worried about my mum and dad and how their health has suffered."

 

Michael, who was 18 when he was jailed, said: "I get my time in the little gym every day, which is something to look forward to, and the rest of the time I try to keep occupied by reading.

 

"I'd never been a big reader before all this, but now I get through a book a week. I like sports biographies and I'm enjoying Steven Gerrard's at the moment.

 

"Robbie Fowler's book was great too, and Ricky Tomlinson's made me laugh.

 

"There's also a room in here with one TV which we are allowed to watch for a while every day. It usually has Bulgarian footy matches on and I like watching them.

 

"The prison staff let me receive some cards on my birthday, and I was able to get a visit from my mum that week."

 

Louise Ellman said: "I think it is a magnificent effort to have raised the money. I hope it will pave the way for him to be home soon."

 

Michael's fine of £70,000 rose to £90,000 with interest, which had to be paid in full, and is well beyond the resources of his family.

 

A fundraising campaign was launched to help pay that, and his family put their life savings into the fund.

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Sangria Veteran

Sangria

Posted
Posted
That's strange. You can get people out of Bulgarian jails if you pay them enough money? What a bizarre 'justice' system they have over there.

Anyway, good news about Michael.

 

Not quite like that mate. He will be returned to Britain to serve the remainder of his sentence. He would not have been allowed to be transfered - back to Britain - until the fine was paid.

Most Countries to my knowledge have the same procedure, regarding fines.

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rebel23 Veteran

rebel23

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they should put an appeal through the european court of justice, the bulgarian's had absolutely no proper evidence for his arrest and conviction and their procedures were flawed.

 

the european court of justice should be able to wipe the conviction and free him immediately and then issue an order of compensation against the Bulgarian's for the original 90k (plus interest) and other expenses incurred.

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Guest molbyscorchio

Guest molbyscorchio

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Posted

In the meantime how hard are we trying to get the scum who committed this crime to confess? There were obviously witnesses. Not that hard, I suspect. Someone died that night. There are people who know who did it, and they're not telling. Now there's an injustice.

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Dirk Grand Master

Dirk

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Posted
In the meantime how hard are we trying to get the scum who committed this crime to confess? There were obviously witnesses. Not that hard, I suspect. Someone died that night. There are people who know who did it, and they're not telling. Now there's an injustice.

 

No they didn't. It was attempted murder.

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