Britons living in Bulgaria. Guide to Bulgaria, Sofia and Varna

BRITISH CITIZEN GETS 15 YEARS SENTENCE - Bulgaria and the World news


A couple of English football hooligans have stoned almost to death a Bulgarian waiter, trying to do his job at the wonderful Black Sea coast. A Greek citizen killed two years ago in the near of Sliven with his Mercedes, driving with 180 km/h on the way, where only 70 allowed were, 2 Bulgarians. A part of his skull is missing and he may well remain handicapped for the rest of his life. A terrible crime has been committed and the doers have to face the consequences of their actions. An American kills in Sofia driving his jeep a Bulgarian. AND YOU SAY YOUR A SCOUSER i dont think so coz a true scouser will not do that to one of his own.I dont know how you can sleep at night knowing what you have put this innocent man and his loving family through. Are you going to care the same what happens to him just like you care about Michael? Because one of the principles of the justice is that we are all equal in the eye of the law. Both were fined 900 leva for causing public disorder. Bulgarian judges may be as asteemed as UK judges but on this occasion there was misjustice! Bulgarians work in my country and are well treated and have the same rights to justice as all other citizens. But are you going to be so outspoken about extraditing the real perpetrator? But I do not think extradition procedures are that easy to set in motion. But if this is an innocent man locked up in a foreign jail while another man brags about the crime, something must be done. But over all, Micheal should go free!!!!Comments by seethis - 19:20 09 Aug 2005 What makes you guys THAAAT DEAF AND BLIND NO QUESTION OR DOUBT SURE that Michael is truly innocent? But there is something else I do not understand- why did Sankey confess his guilt but is unwilling to face a trial? Comments by gill feeney - 14:45 27 Jul 2005 In response to BG GIRL. Comments by Monev - 17:20 30 Jul 2005 To Phil WilliamsAll the national TV-Channels in Bulgaria said about the confesion of the second British citizen in the UK. Comments by Southern Comfit International - 13:18 27 Jul 2005 In view of continuing political unrest in the Bulgarian parliament, and the questionable verdict regarding Michael Shields imprisonment, Southern Comfit is suspending indefinately all sales of Bulgarian properties. Doesn't he deserve justice for what has been done? Firstly, I do not think anybody here supports penalty over the innocent. For all parties.However I travel between UK and Sofia frequently and the bias of each country in reporting the news is unblanced. For myself, Steven [Gerrard] and the other local lads in the team, it really hit us. Foreign media pointed out the speed with which the trial moved forward. FREE MICHEAL SHEILDS AND GIVE GRAHAM SANKEY A FAIR TRIALComments by sum 1 - 13:25 01 Aug 2005 set micheal sheilds free!!!Comments by Harry Potter - 00:04 03 Aug 2005 Just because Michael is English doesn`t mean he is above the law.A Bulgarian judge is as wise as most UK judges. GRAHAM SANKEY should be arrested and forced to stand trial in bulgaria and face what ever faces him. He lives in Germany happy and the families have lost 4 innocent lives. He must be absolutely distraught at what's happened just as everyone in Liverpool is. He nor no-one sees him as above the law. He should have been here in Lithuania cheering us on but instead he's locked up. He was also recognised by several ( not only one ) witness. He will go back to the UK or you lot will not join to the EU... He'll have an appeal and if he's innocent he'll go.*Stop insulting my country you dweeds*Comments by peter hobbs - 09:40 11 Aug 2005 as a person who knows how the bulgarian justice systerm works i was amased that any one thought micheal will be releast. He's one of us; a young lad who went to a game to watch Liverpool and ended up being thrown in prison in a foreign country. HELP US TO FREE MICHAEL SHEILDS HE IS INNOCENTComments by Tony Blair - 14:58 27 Jul 2005 Be careful !!! His confession lost weight because of this and the Bulgarian court did not take it into consideration. His passport was confiscated by the police. Hope the innocent man will be given liberty. Hopefully the truth and justice will win out in the end . However, he refused to appear before the Varna court. I am deeply disappointed of the prejudiced way of thinking of the British participants in this forum. I am sure that Bulgarian court will reconsider its decision and require the detention of Skankey. I can only condemn the actions of these hooligans they sicken myself and the people of Liverpool and must be brought to justice. I do not think that the British citizens have immunity against the laws in other countries only because of their origin. I don't think the Bulgarian will be on the first plane back to Sofia. I have my doubts regarding Stankey's "confession" since it was made only now. I have no doubt that Michael will be freed if he is innocent. I mean the guy needs several operations in order to get back to normal. I remember a plenty of other cases, where foreign tourists were responsible for the death of Bulgarian citizens. I studied in details and all the available information and I watched the news, published in internet by foreign und by Bulgarian news agencies. I think somebody very high up in the government - possibly even Tony Blair himself - should step in and fight Michael's corner because what has happened is wrong. I want to dedicate that goal to Michael Shields and all his family who are suffering so badly right now. I will guess any court in Britain will not judge otherwise if these evidence was in place. I will like to ask all these people, writing without knowing the facts what will they do and write, if a British citizen was so badly injured by a Bulgarian in London for example? If GRAHAM SANKEY has admitted to this act then he should firstly admit he was wrong for Bulagarian TV and then go back to Bulagaria too face the music . If he had died who will explain what to that mans child ( Tony Blair, Jack Straw or even Cherie) no wonder the Bulgarians gave a 15 year sentance. If he is really guilty he should have either taken the first plane to Bulgaria or at least made his confession in writing. If he is so brave to take his responsiblity why does ho do it only half way? If it was my kid, I'd be in pieces. If Michael Shields is innocent he will be free, don't worry. If there is a case of mistaken identity then Mr. It seem like the normal balkan tit for tat. It seems that justice in Bulgaria does not work as in the rest of Europe.Until then I solicit my compatriots as Patrick said not to visit Bulgaria. IT STINKS I JUST HOPE LFC FANS NEVER HAVE TO GO TO bULGARIA AGAIN. It will furthermore suggest that those companies trading in the Bulgarian market consider whether their continuing to do so is in the best interests of their clients. It will be a terrible injustice to sentence one innocent man. LIBERTA SUBITOComments by david treeby ward - 00:23 28 Jul 2005 I am an australian and i have fond memories of bulgaria but i must adnit i am a bit shocked about the recent verdist re liverpool fan. Me and Stevie are heartbroken for the lad because it's obviously an injustice. Micheal being innocent is paramount here! Micheal Shields has been made a scapegoat by your country. More likely i will say the lad was either "persuaded" by Mr. No one will have any doubts about the guiltiness of the Bulgarian. OH and use your OWN name next time shit bag.......FREE MICHAEL SHEILDS .....HE IS INNOCENT .........SANKEY IS THE GUILTY ONE .......YOU,LL NEVER WALK ALONE MICHAEL STAY STRONG BABE. On the same day the American Embassy in Sofia printed a new passport and the American leaves the country. Our country is not dictatorial and I do not think the police intentionally looked for a scapegoat in the case. Please take it upon yourselves as a responsible news portal to investigate and help sort out this terrible situation. Sankey has not testified yet and demands a hearing from a British court. Sankey made a confession from Liverpool. Sankey should have made his evidence in writing, otherwise it is unrecognisable according to both Bulgarian and English Law. SANKEY you cannot hide for the rest off your life scum bag. SCOUSER MY ARSE...MICHAEL THINKING ABOUT YOU ALWAYS BABE WE KNOW YOUR INNOCENT LAD KEEP YOUR CHIN UP YOU,LL NEVER WALK ALONE AND HOLD YOUR HEAD UP HIGH BABE COZ YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG.....FREE MICHAEL SHEILDS HE IS INNOCENT ....SANKEY YOU LOW LIFE SCUM BAG ......... Shields' companion Anthony Wilson received a suspended sentence of 2.5 years and a four-year supervision period. Shields's friends and relatives or money have come into the game. Simple fact!Your comments about football and punctuation/spelling errors are ridiculous and needless! SO we think its about time you got yourself on the plane back to bulgaria because you are not welcome in liverpool anymore and you call yourself a scouser... Some years ago, a German tourist in Bourgas, riding on his water scooter killed 4 Bulgarians in the swimming area of the beach. The 19 year-old British citizen will have to pay 200 000 leva to Georgiev. The bartender survived after he received a stone blow to the head on May 30, while trying to prevent a quarrel between a group of British football fans. The football hooligan must remain behind prison bars, no matter of his origin. The man who did this deserves everything he gets! The organisation Fair Trial Abroad will need several months to demand Shield's release under bail. The person must be sentenced according to the laws of the country, where the crime is being committed. The sentenced man has confessed before the court that he was the cause of it. The sentences will be appealed.On his way out of the courtroom, Shields said that Graham Sankey, another member of the football fans' group was guilty. The thing pisses me off the most is that everybody is so concerned with the fact that an innocent man is in jail and nobody cares that there is a guy out there that almost killed somebody and the British police HELPED HIM AND HIS FAMILY HIDE? The UK Labour government for its part should admit that what the Bulgarians do with him is a matter for them. There is a lad in Liverpool who has owned up to the crime and admitted it was him and not Michael Shields who is the guilty one. There is no argument that Mr.Shields was absolutely drunk and drugged when he was arrested according to the blood samples. There is no justice when the criminal is allowed to live the country, because the motherland will never to put on trial his own citizen, that has done something in a not EU-State. They have only bought a flight ticket and they live now happy in their state. Through its internet newsletter, The Whistleblower, it will be informing the UK and European homes abroad industry of its decision. To ask Graham SANKEY to go and face trial in BULGARIA is ludracris. We can all imagine how we will feel if it was our child in this situation. What do you know about the issue that you haven't heard from the media? What is it that you know for SURE that makes you so certain? Who gives a damn about spelling errors when Michael is sat in a cell. Why don't we look at that just for a second and stop turning this into political war? Why he will have made that confession - out of pity - i very much doubt that! Will they find another 15 witnesses saying it was sankey, also how do we know the bartender didnt start it? You should not forget, as well, that one man was seriously injured, almost killed. You were going on about people spelling who do you think you are MR PERFECT well your not so keep your silly comments to yourself. You'd better not say anything when you do not have the deatils.