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Football fan gets used to UK jail Shields moved to North West jail
(about 6 hours later)
A Liverpool football fan, jailed for 10 years in Bulgaria for the attempted murder of a barman, is spending his first day behind bars in Britain. A Liverpool football fan, transferred from Bulgaria to a jail in London, has been moved to prison nearer to his home in north-west England, his family say.
Michael Shields, 20, from Edge Hill, Liverpool, returned on Thursday to complete his jail sentence and is currently in Wandsworth prison, London. Michael Shields, 20, of Edge Hill, Liverpool, returned to the UK on Thursday and was put in HMP Wandsworth in London.
However, Shields may be transferred to a jail in the north west once assessments are completed. But his family say he has now been moved to HMP Hindley, near Wigan, Greater Manchester.
Bulgarian officials allowed Shields to return after a £90,000 fine was paid. Shields was convicted of attempted murder in July 2005.
Paving slab He was jailed for 10 years after barman Martin Georgiev had a paving slab dropped on his head in the Black Sea resort of Varna.
He was jailed in July 2005 for the attempted murder of barman Martin Georgiev, who had a paving slab dropped on his head in the Black Sea resort of Varna. Shields had been holidaying in Bulgaria after travelling from neighbouring Turkey, where he had watched his team beat AC Milan in the Champions League Final in Istanbul.
Shields had been holidaying in Bulgaria after travelling from neighbouring Turkey, where he had watched on TV as his team beat AC Milan in the Champions League Final in Istanbul in May. It was initially thought that his return would mean a stay of about two months in Wandsworth.
Another Liverpool man, 20-year-old Graham Sankey, made a written confession to the attack, although his solicitor now insists his client was referring to a different brawl. His mother, Maria Shields, said: "Michael shouldn't be in jail at all because he is innocent, but it is better to be in jail in Wigan than in Bulgaria, or even down in London.
The £90,000 fine which Bulgarian authorities had requested in order to authorise his transfer to the UK was paid in October, after a high-profile fundraising campaign by the family and supporters. Appeal lodged
Shields denies being involved in the barman attack in May 2005 and claims he was asleep at the time. "I spoke to him this afternoon (Friday) and he was in good spirits.
In a fight to clear Shields' name, his solicitor has now lodged his case with the European Court of Human Rights. "He told me he was fine, and he's looking forward to us visiting him tomorrow."
A Prison Service spokesman refused to comment on the transfer.
Shields denies any involvement in the attack and in an ongoing campaign to clear his name, his solicitor has now lodged the case with the European Court of Human Rights.