Criminal Shields Returned to UK Prison

[Batman]

Our prisons are congested enough. If he is convicted abroad, he should be jailed abroad.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/mers ... 176610.stm

Liverpool football fan Michael Shields, who was jailed in Bulgaria for the attempted murder of a barman, is returning to the UK.

Shields is due to fly in to Gatwick airport on Thursday evening to complete his sentence in a UK jail.

Shields was given 10 years after a concrete block was dropped on the barman in 2005. He has always denied any involvement.

Bulgarian officials allowed him to return after a £90,000 fine was paid.

Shields' solicitor told the BBC his client is flying back to the UK and would be taken to Wandsworth Prison.

[boltonboris]

I honestly think he's innocent, but like you said he was convicted abroad (albeit on strange grounds and heresay) so he should be jailed abroad

[communistworkethic]

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[Montreal Wanderer]

Cue Blurred......................

Or me with no Liverpool connection. It is not uncommon to repatriate citizens to complete their sentences in domestic prisons. The theory is a) that the process leading to conviction may have lacked the fairness we expect in our trials (i.e. possible innocence) and b) incarceration in foreign jails might amount to cruel and unusual punishment (depending on the country). This is by no means precedent setting.

[boltonboris]

I'd like to know who paid the 90k though... cue the famous scouse togetherness

[CrazyHorse]

I'd like to know who paid the 90k though... cue the famous scouse togetherness

Yeah, it was funded with the use of a 'whip round'.

The question of his quilt aside, I'm all for him coming over here to serve out the remainder of his sentence. Just as I believe foreign prisoners held in UK prisons should be transported back to their own countries as well.

Edit:
Dunno what his quilt has got to do with it though.
Guilt goddammit!

[wovlad]

think his conviction was very iffy to say the least. Someone else confessing to it not withstanding. The lad was made to dress like the assailant, locked up in a corridor past whom
the witnesses walked by before the line up. I could go on.

Be interesting to see how many more years he actually completes.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Be interesting to see how many more years he actually completes.

That is sometimes part of the repatriation deal. If so, he cannot simply be reprieved else we'd never get another innocent out of Bulgaria.

[Montreal Wanderer]

The question of his quilt aside, I'm all for him coming over here to serve out the remainder of his sentence. Just as I believe foreign prisoners held in UK prisons should be transported back to their own countries as well.

Sending their prisoners back would rather depend upon the crime. Sending a spy back to Russia would rather defeat the purpose of catching him. Sending a terrorist back to Lybia might make him a national hero. Nice quilt, btw.

[CrazyHorse]

The question of his quilt aside, I'm all for him coming over here to serve out the remainder of his sentence. Just as I believe foreign prisoners held in UK prisons should be transported back to their own countries as well.

Sending their prisoners back would rather depend upon the crime. Sending a spy back to Russia would rather defeat the purpose of catching him. Sending a terrorist back to Lybia might make him a national hero. Nice quilt, btw.

Read the edit, smartypants.

Of course every case would need to be reviewed individually but for "normal-run of the mill" convictions (you know what I mean) it makes sense to have them returned home. As much as anything else it allows the criminal to be within a realistic distance for relatives to visit.

[blurred]

Cue Blurred......................

Indeed, how dare I comment on any thread without your permission...

[Montreal Wanderer]

Of course every case would need to be reviewed individually but for "normal-run of the mill" convictions (you know what I mean) it makes sense to have them returned home. As much as anything else it allows the criminal to be within a realistic distance for relatives to visit.

In general I'd agree but even then we have a problem. We get worried that the individual we found guilty of causing an affray or whatever might face cruel and unusual punishment in his homeland. Then we go all soft because we have to be the good guys. In Canada, despite a perfectly good extradition treaty, we do not return people to the US if they face the death sentence.

[Village Idiot]

Same here. Dunno if brits are mandated by it, but EU can't extradite prisoners to countries where they could face a death penalty.

About sending prisoners to their countries, problem is that you need to have a standing repatriation treaty with them. You can't just stuff them in a plane and parachute them down to Morocco (or whatever). And you'll find that most countries are perfectly fine with not having more criminals in their prisons.

[CrazyHorse]

So what we're saying is that is is perhaps only a good idea on paper then? Maybe so.

Of course the flip side (as Batman states) is the deterrent of a foreign jail for committing a crime abroad.

[Village Idiot]

So what we're saying is that is is perhaps only a good idea on paper then? Maybe so.

Of course the flip side (as Batman states) is the deterrent of a foreign jail for committing a crime abroad.

Actually, I honestly believe that deportation would be a great deterrent for foreign criminals, specially for petty crime. Problem is that their countries of origin mostly won't go along with it.

[TANGODANCER]

Guilty or no, he's got family and friends. It isn't very fair to expect them to travel abroad to see him. Probably a humanitarian move for the better. Just an aopinion.

[Batman]

I'm not bothered if he is guilty or not - simple fact is our prisons are overcrowded. Serious crimes are being rewarded with lighter sentences because there simply is NOT space in the prisons to accomdate them. Cases like this mean that a cell is being taken up by someone who should remain abroad.

As far as I am concerned, if you are convicted then you should serve the sentence within the country where the crime was committed. Shields should have stayed in Bulgaria.

[David Lee's Hair]

So what we're saying is that is is perhaps only a good idea on paper then? Maybe so.

Of course the flip side (as Batman states) is the deterrent of a foreign jail for committing a crime abroad.

Actually, I honestly believe that deportation would be a great deterrent for foreign criminals, specially for petty crime. Problem is that their countries of origin mostly won't go along with it.

Maybe if you where a turk - if midnight express is to be believed. But back here?? No way the crims will be loving it. minimum security, all the drugs you can get your hands on!! The wags get done for giving you a shoe-in. Keep them out so they know what a prison is really like in my opinion!

[communistworkethic]

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Indeed, how dare I comment on any thread without your permission...

???? Just pointing out this was one of your favourite victim subjects, and no doubt you would have something to add.

[blurred]

???? Just pointing out this was one of your favourite victim subjects, and no doubt you would have something to add.

Of course, I forgot, I mention it all the time, obviously.

And to be honest, no, I haven't, because it's patently not worth the metaphorical waste of oxygen.