Shields' Bulgarian Victim: I Am Trying to Forget

Martin Georgiev (picture), was working as a barman in Varna, when Liverpool fan, Michael Shield's, allegedly, dropped a rock on his head. Photo by 24 Chassa

The British authorities' decision to release Michael Shields' from jail is not doing a favor to the football fans, Shields' victim, Martin Georgiev, said Wednesday.

Georgiev spoke in an interview for Darik radio after hearing the news Shield's has been pardoned by the UK Justice Secretary, Jack Straw.

Georgiev told the Darik reporter that he saw this as a decision of the British authorities that is the wrong one, but he could not do anything to change it.

"Somebody is committing a crime and then walks out free. They will have to bear the consequences of this decision. Our justice system did their work perfectly. There were more than 20 witnesses of what happened. If Jack Straw can make a decision just based on Shield's words - this is his problem," Georgiev said.

He further explained he would have health problems until the end of his life and suffers from severe headaches, but added he was trying to put everything behind him and live normally.

Before being pardoned Wednesday, the 22-year-old Shields was serving a 10-year sentence for the attempted murder of Georgiev, after Liverpool's win in the 2005 Champions League final.

The victim, who was working as a barman at the time, had a rock dropped on his head in Varna, Bulgaria, where Shields, like a number of Liverpool fans, had broken the journey home from Istanbul.

Shields, then 18, was found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison, which was reduced to 10 years on appeal.

He has been serving the remainder of his sentence in Thorn Cross Young Offenders Institute in Appleton Thorn, Warrington.

 

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