Bulgarians mock our fight to win justice for Michael; Tasteless cartoon sparks disgust across the city.Byline: By LUKE TRAYNOR IT'S a picture that will disgust rightthinking Liverpudlians. A Bulgarian national newspaper has delivered this withering response to our criticism of the decision to jail Wavertree teenager Michael Shields For the British body snatcher of the same name, see . Michael Shields (born 21 September, 1986 in Liverpool, England) is a football fan who gained notoriety when, on May 30, 2005, he nearly killed a Bulgarian Citizen with a paving slab in the Black Sea resort of Golden Sands, . The mocked-up photo shows the Queen crashing a paving slab over the head of Bulgarian president Georgi Parvanov Georgi Sedefchov Parvanov (Bulgarian: Георги Седефчов Първанов , with the headline: "A Rock for George." It is part of weekly Sofia tabloid Yaca 168's Keep Michael Shields in Prison campaign. The campaign includes a cut-out coupon which the paper told readers to send to Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace (bŭk`ĭng-əm), residence of British sovereigns from 1837, in Westminster metropolitan borough, London, England, adjacent to St. James's Park. . It reads: "To the Queen of United Kingdom Elizabeth II, the Liverpool fan Michael Shields was sentenced to 15 years in prison for a crime in Bulgaria. "I, the undersigned un·der·signed adj. 1. Having signatures or a signature at the bottom or end. Used of documents. 2. Signed or having signed at the bottom or end of a document: insist that you stop all tries (sic) for him to be freed." Michael was found guilty of attempted murder and jailed for 15 years in July following an attack that left Bulgarian waiter Martin Georgiev. But the 18-year-old has always maintained his innocence. Anfield electrician Graham Sankey, aged 20, signed a confession admitting that he was the attacker, but it was ruled inadmissible That which, according to established legal principles, cannot be received into evidence at a trial for consideration by the jury or judge in reaching a determination of the action. by the Bulgarian authorities. Cllr Alan Dean, Mayor of Liverpool, was appalled by the article: "We have not vilified their press, we are simply saying that justice has not been done. It's wrong for a newspaper to publish articles of this nature, which are ridiculing the UK state." Liverpool MP Louise Ellman said: "This sends out very bad vibes as the whole issue is about identification." A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said: "As this newspaper is published abroad, Buckingham Palace would hope that any images published of The Queen are sensible ones, and we would also wish that Her Majesty's image is used in an appropriate manner." The spokesman refused to confirm if the palace had received any completed coupons. A Liverpool holidaymaker brought the newspaper to the ECHO after being shocked seeing it on sale in Bulgaria. The woman, who did not want to be named, said: "I was disgusted when I saw it as it's slanderous towards people from Liverpool. The Shields family did not wish to comment CAPTION(S): LEGAL TRIANGLE: From left, Martin Georgiev, Graham Sankey and Michael Shields; UNFAIR: The cover of the Bulgarian paper, headlined 'A rock for George |
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