Palfreeman's Father: It Is Common for People to Carry Knives in Bulgaria

The father of a 23-year-old Australian man, sentenced to 20 years in jail for murder in Bulgaria, has defended his son by saying it is not illegal and not uncommon for people to carry knives in Bulgaria.

"
It's not illegal for people to carry knives in Bulgaria and it's not uncommon for people to carry knives in Bulgaria,"
Palfreeman's father Simon Palfreeman told ABC Europe correspondent Emma Alberici.

According to Simon Palfreeman the eyewitness evidence shows that it was only after Jock had been attacked himself by the 12 men that the knife came out.

"
And then it was quite clear that he was using it simply to try and warn them away,"
he said.

"
It was either going to be the Roma boy if Jock hadn't intervened or at one stage Jock was on the ground with large concrete pavers being thrown at him."


Simon Palfreeman concedes that the chance of an appeal going from a 20 year life sentence down to an acquittal is probably unlikely, but hopes for an acknowledgement that "
what Jock did was a good Samaritan act"
.

Jock Palfreeman, 23, has been kept behind bars in a Bulgarian jail after being charged with murder after an alleged street brawl in the capital Sofia at the end of 2007.

According to Bulgarian prosecutors, who asked for life imprisonment for the defendant, Palfreeman was not provoked and did not act in self-defence, as he has claimed.

Palfreeman was also found guilty of attempted murder over the alleged stabbing of a 19-year-old man during the fight.

The Sydney sider has repeatedly denied both charges, saying he was trying to defend himself from being attacked by a group of men, and is now appealing the sentence.

According to Jock's family, friends and supporters his verdict is a "
hideous perversion of justice"
.

If its legal or not if you carry a knife you will use it,and if you do and someone gets hurt or dies,then you have to take the punishment,knifes are available in BG small ones big ones but they are used for fishing or hunting,if you buy one and carry it in a suburb of a city,sorry then they deserve what they get

mickhev wrote:

If its legal or not if you carry a knife you will use it,and if you do and someone gets hurt or dies,then you have to take the punishment,knifes are available in BG small ones big ones but they are used for fishing or hunting,if you buy one and carry it in a suburb of a city,sorry then they deserve what they get

Must agree Mick you carry you intend to use. The old drunk that lives next door came over the other day 'Peean' as usual and got shoved away by my mate. The old boy pulled out a little pistol from his coat with intent or not he did it. My mate ran over took the gun off him and gave him a good old fashioned slap.

About 5 minutes later the old boy came up with a big stick, what a mistake. He got another good slap for good measure. But the intent to harm drunk or not was there.

According to Jock's family, friends and supporters his verdict is a "
hideous perversion of justice"
.

Bit of a joke this I wonder if he would be saying this if it was the other way round and it was his son who had been killed

Well now, I must agree with you guys. Why on earth would you carry a weapon be it knife or any other type of weapon unless you had every intention of using it at some stage I don't put a knife in my handbag why? because it would cut my blooming fingers when I go for my car keys

Oddy

Same for me if the shoe was on the other foot comes to mind lets not forget though his brain works different to our, because its down under

It dont matter what weapon is to hand you will use it if you have it,just like my wife she has a big handbag,full and i mean full of everything,if you got a clout round the ear with it you would feel it,but if she was threatened she would use it as a weapon,and it would hurt,so the moral of the story is whatever you have you will use,carry a knife you will use it,if you use it prison here i come

bulgarian justice is harsh on the ordinary person and foreigners despite any mitigating factors. bystander apathy as sad as it is, is necessary. the pensioner who stole a loaf got one year in prison. the train driver who ran over 2 suicidal people lying on the track went to prison. carry a knife and use it, your asking for it.
of course bulgarian justice does not apply to these guys. :Dance: :Dance: :Dance:

I think the statement made by this guy just goes to show how things of changed what he's basically saying is that it was ok to do this and get away with it, it makes me sick when I hear this and we all wonder where things went wrong

From Novinite

Family of Bulgaria-Jailed Aussie 'Void of Expectations'

The Australian man, sentenced for the murder of 20-year-old Bulgarian Andrey Monov, has pleaded not guilty.
The final hearing in the appeal trial against Australian Jock Palfreeman's murder conviction will be held in a Bulgarian court on Wednesday, but his family says it could be months before the ruling is announced.

"
I have learnt in the past three years that it is better to have a void of expectations,"
Palfreeman's brother Spencer told the Mosman Daily.

The appeal trial against Jock Palfreeman's 20-year jail sentence will return to a Bulgarian court on January 19, after his father, a key member of the legal defence team, failed to get to the court on December 22 due to the inclement weather at European airports.

His brother Spencer said it had been disappointing and frustrating to not have the final hearing before Christmas.

"
But I can't see how they could not support Jock's claim of self defence."


The Australian man, sentenced for the murder of 20-year-old Bulgarian Andrey Monov, has pleaded not guilty. He insists he acted in self defence after going to the aid of two Roma, or gypsies, who he says were being beaten by the victim and more than a dozen friends.

Two more key witnesses' statements were re-examined earlier in December as part of the appeal trial, backing Palfreeman's claim about the attack on the Roma.

One more witness, Alexander Donev, a friend of the victim who is understood to be studying in Germany, was heard on December 22 before the court was due to make a final ruling. The young man stood by his own original version, saying he could not recall the exact nature of the incident which occurred before Palfreeman intervened.

Jock Palfreeman has been kept behind bars in a Bulgarian jail after being charged with murder after an alleged street brawl in the capital Sofia at the end of 2007.

According to Bulgarian prosecutors, who asked for life imprisonment for the defendant, Palfreeman was not provoked and did not act in self-defense, as he has claimed.

Palfreeman was also found guilty of attempted murder over the alleged stabbing of a 19-year-old man during the fight.

The Sydneysider has repeatedly denied both charges, saying he was trying to defend himself from being attacked by a group of men.

According to Jock's family, friends and supporters his verdict is a "
hideous perversion of justice"
.

Well there seems to be a knife involved what a surprise lock them aay and throw away the key

Carrying a knife is like carrying a gun. If you have one, it is very likely that you intend to use it. That is not something in Palfreeman's favour. However, who really knows - maybe it was as he says.

It really dont matter what he says,if your guilty you pay the price

From Novinite

Aussie Jailed for Murder: Bulgarian Court Corrupt, Victim's Father Top Shot

A 24-year-old Australian man, convicted of murder in Bulgaria, said the appeals court will certainly overturn his sentence of twenty years in jail unless it is corrupt.

"
If the appeal court is not corrupt, there is more than enough evidence to find that I acted in defence of a racial minority being assaulted due to the colour of their skin, then acting in defence of myself,"
Jock Palfreeman said in a statement, issued days before the crucial final hearing in his appeal.

The young Australian calls any deviation from this ruling "
a display of corruption and disrespect for law, morals, society and justice."


According to Palfreeman in Bulgaria the facts of his case has been harshly censored from the Bulgarian language public.

"
The propaganda has been very good, with rumours that I stabbed people in the back, that contradict eye witnesses and the forensic report. Ironically the forensic report not only states that Andrey was stabbed face to face, but it also states that he was not stabbed with the knife I held. He was stabbed with a dagger, a type of knife I did not have,"
the statement says.

Palfreeman claims that the family of the victim Andrey Monov have used their connections within the then governing Bulgarian Socialist Party to corrupt the judicial process.

Paul "
Jock"
Palfreeman's appeal against his 20-year sentence is due to return to court on Wednesday, January 19.

The Bulgarian appeals court had adjourned the hearing in December to allow his father to testify.

Palfreeman's father, Dr Simon Palfreeman, had been unable to get to the court on December 22 due to bad weather in Europe.

Palfreeman was convicted in December 2009 of fatally stabbing one man and wounding another during a street brawl in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, in 2007.

Palfreeman, now 24, from Sydney, pleaded not guilty, claiming he acted in self-defence after intervening to prevent an attack on a group of Roma, or gypsies.

He has been in custody since the December 2007 incident.

From Novinite

Australian Stabber May Face Life Sentence in Bulgaria

Jock Palfreeman has been charged with the murder of 20 year-old Andrey Monov and the attempted murder of 19 year-old Antoan Zahariev.
Sofia's Prosecutor's Office of Appeal has demanded a life sentence for the Australian citizen Jock Palfreeman.

The appeal trial against Jock Palfreeman's current 20-year jail sentence returned to the Bulgarian court on January 19, the fifth day of his appeal hearing, after his father, a key member of the legal defence team, failed to get to the court on December 22 due to the bad weather at European airports.

Palfreeman has been charged with the murder of 20 year-old Andrey Monov and the attempted murder of 19 year-old Antoan Zahariev in downtown Sofia in the early hours of December 28 2007.

The accusing side, on behalf of Monov and Zahariev's parents, stated before the court on Wednesday that the crime committed by the Australian has been violent and highly dangerous for with a high level of danger for society, and have therefore demanded the maximum sentence.

"
He [Palfreeman] has never felt remorse for what he has done,"
Hristo Monov, the victim's father and Asst. Prof. in Psychology has said before the court.

According to Bulgarian prosecutors, who asked for life imprisonment for the defendant, Palfreeman was not provoked and did not act in self-defense, as he has claimed.

Wednesday's hearing is currently ongoing.