Jailed fan to be released in 2010

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The Liverpool football fan who was jailed for the attempted murder of a barman in Bulgaria will be released from prison in less than three years.

Michael Shields, 21, from Edge Hill was jailed for the attack in May 2005, but has always protested his innocence.

Shields' sentence was reduced to 10 years on appeal, and he was moved to the UK prison system in 2006.

His time served in Bulgaria will now be counted as part of his sentence and he will be released in May 2010.

Michael Shields parents said they they were told the news a couple of days ago but were waiting for it to be confirmed.

Shields, from Edge Hill, Liverpool, was transferred to HMP Hindley in Wigan, Greater Manchester, in November after a £90,000 fine was paid.

He has now been moved to prison in Preston.

Miscarriage of justice

He was jailed for the attempted murder of barman Martin Georgiev, who had a paving slab dropped on his head in the Black Sea resort of Varna in May 2005.

His lawyers appealed to the European Court of Human Rights on the grounds his rights were violated during the trial, but the appeal was rejected.

He been holidaying in Bulgaria after travelling from neighbouring Turkey, where he had watched his team beat AC Milan in the Champions League final on TV.

Shields told the court he was asleep at the time of the incident.

The Home Office had earlier said that time spent in prison in Bulgaria would not be counted as part of his sentence, but it has now accepted that it should count towards his time served.

Riverside MP Louise Ellman, who has been acting on behalf of the Shields family, said she was going to continue to campaign for a pardon.