 Shields was on holiday after the Champions' League final |
Bulgarian judges have said criticism of the handling of the trial of jailed Liverpool football fan Michael Shields was an insult to their nation. Shields, 18, from Wavertree, was jailed for 15 years last week after being convicted of the attempted murder of a Bulgarian barman in a fracas in May.
His family said it was a miscarriage of justice after another Liverpool man made a signed confession.
The Bulgarian Union of Judges sent a letter to the British Consul in reply.
The letter, to British Consul Hilary Arthur, claimed the reaction of the British media was "an interference in a court's work" and "an insult to the dignity of the Bulgarian nation".
Union leader Neli Kutskova said: "Convicted Shields was given a fast and just trial before an independent and unbiased court, in conformity with all international standards of human rights protection."
 Martin Georgiev's skull was fractured in the attack |
Shields has always protested his innocence - a case strengthened after 20-year-old Graham Sankey's signed confession.
The Shields family, which has waged a high profile campaign to free the teenager, remained unrepentant about criticising the foreign court.
Michael's uncle Joey Graney said: "A judge is there to decide and make sure a case is fair, not to moan when people make justified complaints.
"People make mistakes, even judges make mistakes and in this case the judge got it wrong."
A spokesman for the Foreign Office maintained its standard response that it was unable to interfere with another country's judicial system.
He added: "As far as the British embassy and the government is concerned the Bulgarian judicial procedure followed its normal course."
Sankey's confession was made to a Merseyside solicitor and sent to the Bulgarian courts after Shields was convicted.
Anton Gerginov, a prosecutor with the Supreme Prosecution office, said: "The man should come forward to be further interrogated in Bulgaria, because there are discrepancies between his confession and the other evidence on the case."
Shields had been visiting Varna after watching Liverpool win the Champions League final in neighbouring Turkey.
He has until 9 August to appeal, and if he does so, the case would be heard by the Varna Court of Appeals within two months.
Bulgarian Martin Georgiev suffered a fractured skull in the attack.
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The man (Graham Sankey) should come forward to be further interrogated in Bulgaria
