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Fan's High Court bid for freedom | Fan's High Court bid for freedom |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Jailed Liverpool fan Michael Shields is due to take his bid for freedom to the High Court in London. | Jailed Liverpool fan Michael Shields is due to take his bid for freedom to the High Court in London. |
He is serving a 10-year sentence for the attempted murder of a barman in Bulgaria, but maintains his innocence. | He is serving a 10-year sentence for the attempted murder of a barman in Bulgaria, but maintains his innocence. |
Bulgarian officials have said his release rests with authorities in the UK, where he is serving his sentence. | Bulgarian officials have said his release rests with authorities in the UK, where he is serving his sentence. |
Shields, 22, is seeking a judicial review at the High Court after Justice Secretary Jack Straw refused to issue a free pardon cancelling his conviction. | |
Mr Straw has said he has no jurisdiction to consider either a pardon or an early release - and insisted it was down to Bulgarian authorities. | |
The review call will challenge his ruling regarding "the power to grant a pardon to repatriated prisoners wrongly convicted in a foreign jurisdiction". | The review call will challenge his ruling regarding "the power to grant a pardon to repatriated prisoners wrongly convicted in a foreign jurisdiction". |
'Travesty of justice' | |
Shields is currently serving the remainder of his sentence, which was cut to 10 years on appeal in Bulgaria, at HMP Haverigg in Cumbria. | |
He maintains he is innocent, and Fair Trials Abroad has described his conviction as a blatant miscarriage of justice. | He maintains he is innocent, and Fair Trials Abroad has described his conviction as a blatant miscarriage of justice. |
His mother Marie recently met the prime minister's wife, Sarah Brown, at 10 Downing Street to discuss her son's case. | |
The Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Reverend James Jones, has described the case as "a travesty of justice". | The Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Reverend James Jones, has described the case as "a travesty of justice". |
He said: "I have talked and listened to Michael on a number of occasions and I too believe that he is innocent." | He said: "I have talked and listened to Michael on a number of occasions and I too believe that he is innocent." |
Shields also has the backing of the team he supports. Liverpool's players wore "Free Michael now" T-shirts while warming up for Monday's game with West Ham at Anfield. | |
The 22-year-old was convicted in Bulgaria of attacking a barman who had a paving slab dropped on his head. | |
The incident followed Liverpool's Champions League final victory in Istanbul in May 2005. |