Liverpool fan's pardon verdict delayed

LONDON (Reuters) - A Liverpool football fan, jailed by a Bulgarian court for attempted murder, will find out at a later date whether his plea for a free pardon has been successful.

Michael Shields was convicted in July 2005 of smashing a rock over the head of bartender Martin Georgiev during a street brawl in the Golden Sands resort. He is serving his 10-year sentence in a British prison.

Judges at London's High Court were urged on Thursday to rule that Justice Secretary Jack Straw had the power to exercise the ancient "royal prerogative of mercy," even though Shields was convicted abroad, the Press Association reported.

They reserved their decision to a later date.

The power to pardon is rarely used, but is exercised when a person is deemed to be "morally and technically innocent."

Shields's lawyers argued that his conviction was based on thin evidence while Straw's legal team argued there was no jurisdiction to grant him a free pardon.

They warned that, if the justice secretary did intervene, the move could be seen as criticism of the foreign court that had found Shields guilty.

The barman was attacked a few nights after Liverpool's European Cup final victory in Istanbul, Turkey.

Shields has always vehemently maintained his innocence, and Fair Trials Abroad described his conviction -- based solely on identification evidence with no supporting testimony -- as a blatant miscarriage of justice.