I am indebted to the invaluable CourtServe Headline Express (my wake-up reading every working day) for referring me to a piece in the

Jack Straw's reasons for recommending a free pardon for Michael Shields, the football fan convicted in Bulgaria of attempting to murder a barman, should be read with the

Lawyers for Michael Shields, the Liverpool football fan serving a 10-year sentence for the attempted murder of a Bulgarian barman in 2005, have accused Jack Straw of misunderstanding the law.

As part of their attempt to persuade

Michael Shields, a 22-year-old football fan serving 10 years in prison for the attempted murder of a Bulgarian waiter in 2005, was told today that he is unlikely to receive a free pardon - despite his claims of innocence.