Bulgarian Trial Ordeal Worsens for Jock Palfreeman

Views on BG | June 9, 2010, Wednesday // 08:02|  views

Jock Palfreeman. Photo by BGNES

by Boel Eriksson

The Mosman Daily

Jock Palfreeman, who is serving a 20-year sentence in Bulgaria for murder, could remain in prison until he dies if prosecutors go ahead with a planned appeal.

Palfreeman, who grew up in Mosman, was found guilty in December of murdering Bulgarian law student Andrei Monov, 20, and severely wounding Anton Zahariev, 19, during a fight in 2007.

Palfreeman’s lawyers lodged an appeal within a week of the December verdict, saying it was not based on correct evidence.

His brother Spencer Palfreeman said they were now expecting an appeal for a life sentence without parole from the prosecution after the newly released written judgement showed Palfreeman had been found guilty of murder by hooliganism.

Spencer said this had led prosecution to claim the 20-year sentence had “not been harsh enough”, but they were yet to get a formal confirmation of an appeal.

“We’re not even angry, it’s just laughable,” he said.

“We haven’t even had a chance to translate the statement from Bulgarian to English yet.”

Palfreeman’s lawyers would seek an amended verdict because the trial and documentation had been faulty, Spencer said. He said police statements from Monov and Zahariev’s friends who witnessed the fight, some of which had initially supported Palfreeman’s story, had been changed twice.

A list of identically written statements from each one of them claiming Palfreeman was guilty had been presented at the trial, and prosecution had refused to allow the initial statements to be shown, Spencer said.

“The verdict was not based on the truth to begin with,” he said. “Complete changes were made in statements.”

Spencer has not spoken to his brother since attending a court hearing last year.

Palfreeman is spending 23 hours a day in his cell and Spencer said they were trying to get him more books and access to study courses.

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Tags: Palfreeman, sofia, Murder, trial, life sentence

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