Bulgaria's Supreme Cassation Court will decide on the appeal for the retrial of Michael Shields, the British football fan jailed in Bulgaria for the attempted murder of a barmaid, in one month.

Bulgaria's Supreme Court in Sofia is to rule on whether Shields' original trial was flawed on procedural grounds. If so, the court can order a retrial.

I am absolutely innocent and I am sorry for the injured Bulgarian, Shields said during the trial. Shields' lawyer claims that there have been mistakes in the investigation and that the verdict is unfair, asking for a retrial.

Michael Shields, now 19, was jailed for 15 years after being convicted of attempted murder of bartender Martin Georgiev in the Golden Sands resort.

Another Liverpool fan Graham Sankey, 20, later confessed to the crime but refused to come back to Bulgaria and give evidence in person. Consequently the Bulgarian authorities refused to consider the evidence.

The two were holidaying in the Bulgarian resort after seeing their favourite team win the Champions League final.

Shields insisted he was asleep in bed when a concrete slab was dropped on Martin Georgiev's head.

Meanwhile, Sankey issued a written confession to the attack through a Merseyside-based solicitor, but the document was rejected by the trial judge.

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