Post by Redz on Sept 30, 2005 14:24:34 GMT
Michael has been jailed for 15 years for a crime he didn't commit. There have been a number of developments in recent days - read to the end of the thread to get the whole story of this disgraceful travesty of justice.
Saturday 23rd July
To summarise:
Graham Sankey, the lad named in the Echo a few weeks back, has now made a statement through a Wirral solicitor that he carried out the assault with which Michael is charged. He has been named in court in Bulgaria by witnesses from Liverpool, and his statement has been reported in Saturday's Echo, and on the BBC website.
This is very good news, but it's not yet clear - simply because it's the weekend - what will happen next.
As far as this website is concerned, we will ensure that we do nothing to prejudge Graham Sankey. Like any other case that is sub-judice, and especially given that we ran a campaign for Michael because we knew he was innocent and therefore might be read by people reporting on the case or even involved with the Bulgarian judiciary, we're going to be rigourous on this. Thanks for understanding.
This last point is important. We've already seen opinionated posts from people who couldn't even recall facts accurately that were already reported in this forum and in the Liverpool papers; and of course we've already seen the challenge to justice presented by the identity process in Bulgaria, with various Bulgars swearing under oath that they recognised Michael.
We have previously deleted posts by those people who expressed doubts over Michael's innocence. This is because we knew he was innocent. Anyone who couldn't realise that the support given by the Echo, the MP, this website and others, the HJC, and local radio was because we had some knowledge of his innocence is probably too daft to be publishing an opinion on the matter.
Similarly, we don't know the full circumstances of Sankey. We're therefore not going to carry comment on him; despite his "confession," there's still a risk of him not getting a fair trial. Let justice prevail ...
A couple of comments from me personally: I'm impressed with the way the Echo has effectively supported the campaign and the process of justice. Some people like to knock them; I doubt anywhere has a better community focus to a widely read paper. Fair play to them. And to Louise Ellman MP; it's easy to be very critical of her with regard to her politics on Palestine, so credit where it's due: she has clearly understood Michael's innocence and has used her position extremely well in this. She has also, sensibly, made calls for a fair trial for Sankey.
There's still a way to go. Let's hope that Bulgarian justice doesn't allow them to hold an innocent man hostage pending extradition of another person: that would be the basis for a significant international outcry. So campaigning is paused, rather than stopped, until we see what moves are made in the next few days by the Bulgarians.
Here's Roadender's transcription of the main piece from yesterday's Echo (which isn't available online yet.)
I DID IT
Bulgaria trial sensation as city man says: It was me, not Michael.
A Liverpool man today confessed to the brutal attack which has seen Michael Shields standing trial for attempted murder. Anfield electrician Graham Sankey admitted carrying out a paving slab assault on a Bulgarian barman after reading harrowing accounts of the trial in the ECHO. His confession came weeks after we identified the 20-year-old as a possible suspect for the attack which left 25-year-old Martin Georgiev in a coma.
As the Shields family expressed delight at the dramatic events, their son's trial in Bulgaria was halted.
Mr Sankey told the ECHO he was prepared to stand trial for the assault but only in a British court.
He revealed his dark secret after reading about 18-year-old Michael's ongoing trial in the ECHO, and just weeks after we revealed rumours identifying him as the guilty man. He broke down in tears as he told his solicitor that he was the football lout who beat the barman with a paving slab. He will now accept arrest and prosecution, but will fight any attempts to extradite him to Bulgaria. Engineering student Michael could now be freed.
His solicitor made a statement which said "Graham Sankey is prepared to admit that he is responsible for the attack in Bulgaria of which Michael Shields stands accused. His conscience has told him that he must take these steps to end the agony that Michael and his family have been going through for these past few horrendous weeks. Reading about Michael appearing in a Bulgarian court left him with no alternative but to come forward and admit his part in the events of that night. Grahams family, who have received threats themselves in recent days, are standing 100% behind their son, even though they are devastated and shattered by what has happened. My client is prepared to stand trial only in Britain and to accept the consequences..."
Yesterday as Michael stood trial in the Black Sea city of Varna, proceedings were dramatically halted as Mr Sankey was identified in court as the man responsible for the attack.
Michael has always insisted he was innocent and his family mounted a two month campaign to win his freedom. Legal experts and politicians predict he will now be freed after another man effectively proved his innocence.
Meanwhile, Bulgarian lawyers demanded Mr Sankey appear in court after learning of his confession. The trial in Varna had been expected to end yesterday, but jurors were dismissed for the weekend after Mr Sankey was named in court as the perpetrator. Mr Shields' lawyers called on Mr Sankey to give evidence clarifying his position
Saturday 23rd July
To summarise:
Graham Sankey, the lad named in the Echo a few weeks back, has now made a statement through a Wirral solicitor that he carried out the assault with which Michael is charged. He has been named in court in Bulgaria by witnesses from Liverpool, and his statement has been reported in Saturday's Echo, and on the BBC website.
This is very good news, but it's not yet clear - simply because it's the weekend - what will happen next.
As far as this website is concerned, we will ensure that we do nothing to prejudge Graham Sankey. Like any other case that is sub-judice, and especially given that we ran a campaign for Michael because we knew he was innocent and therefore might be read by people reporting on the case or even involved with the Bulgarian judiciary, we're going to be rigourous on this. Thanks for understanding.
This last point is important. We've already seen opinionated posts from people who couldn't even recall facts accurately that were already reported in this forum and in the Liverpool papers; and of course we've already seen the challenge to justice presented by the identity process in Bulgaria, with various Bulgars swearing under oath that they recognised Michael.
We have previously deleted posts by those people who expressed doubts over Michael's innocence. This is because we knew he was innocent. Anyone who couldn't realise that the support given by the Echo, the MP, this website and others, the HJC, and local radio was because we had some knowledge of his innocence is probably too daft to be publishing an opinion on the matter.
Similarly, we don't know the full circumstances of Sankey. We're therefore not going to carry comment on him; despite his "confession," there's still a risk of him not getting a fair trial. Let justice prevail ...
A couple of comments from me personally: I'm impressed with the way the Echo has effectively supported the campaign and the process of justice. Some people like to knock them; I doubt anywhere has a better community focus to a widely read paper. Fair play to them. And to Louise Ellman MP; it's easy to be very critical of her with regard to her politics on Palestine, so credit where it's due: she has clearly understood Michael's innocence and has used her position extremely well in this. She has also, sensibly, made calls for a fair trial for Sankey.
There's still a way to go. Let's hope that Bulgarian justice doesn't allow them to hold an innocent man hostage pending extradition of another person: that would be the basis for a significant international outcry. So campaigning is paused, rather than stopped, until we see what moves are made in the next few days by the Bulgarians.
Here's Roadender's transcription of the main piece from yesterday's Echo (which isn't available online yet.)
I DID IT
Bulgaria trial sensation as city man says: It was me, not Michael.
A Liverpool man today confessed to the brutal attack which has seen Michael Shields standing trial for attempted murder. Anfield electrician Graham Sankey admitted carrying out a paving slab assault on a Bulgarian barman after reading harrowing accounts of the trial in the ECHO. His confession came weeks after we identified the 20-year-old as a possible suspect for the attack which left 25-year-old Martin Georgiev in a coma.
As the Shields family expressed delight at the dramatic events, their son's trial in Bulgaria was halted.
Mr Sankey told the ECHO he was prepared to stand trial for the assault but only in a British court.
He revealed his dark secret after reading about 18-year-old Michael's ongoing trial in the ECHO, and just weeks after we revealed rumours identifying him as the guilty man. He broke down in tears as he told his solicitor that he was the football lout who beat the barman with a paving slab. He will now accept arrest and prosecution, but will fight any attempts to extradite him to Bulgaria. Engineering student Michael could now be freed.
His solicitor made a statement which said "Graham Sankey is prepared to admit that he is responsible for the attack in Bulgaria of which Michael Shields stands accused. His conscience has told him that he must take these steps to end the agony that Michael and his family have been going through for these past few horrendous weeks. Reading about Michael appearing in a Bulgarian court left him with no alternative but to come forward and admit his part in the events of that night. Grahams family, who have received threats themselves in recent days, are standing 100% behind their son, even though they are devastated and shattered by what has happened. My client is prepared to stand trial only in Britain and to accept the consequences..."
Yesterday as Michael stood trial in the Black Sea city of Varna, proceedings were dramatically halted as Mr Sankey was identified in court as the man responsible for the attack.
Michael has always insisted he was innocent and his family mounted a two month campaign to win his freedom. Legal experts and politicians predict he will now be freed after another man effectively proved his innocence.
Meanwhile, Bulgarian lawyers demanded Mr Sankey appear in court after learning of his confession. The trial in Varna had been expected to end yesterday, but jurors were dismissed for the weekend after Mr Sankey was named in court as the perpetrator. Mr Shields' lawyers called on Mr Sankey to give evidence clarifying his position