Featured Image Credit: Rustavi 2
Topics: News, World News, Drugs, Crime
Gerrard Kaonga
There has been a major update for 19-year-old student Bella Culley who was arrested in Georgia on suspicion of drug trafficking earlier this year.
British Student Bella Culley was charged with drug trafficking in Georgia after arriving at the country's airport in May earlier this year.
Culley, who is pregnant, was arrested on May 10 at Tbilisi International Airport and accused of trying to smuggle large amounts of illegal drugs in her suitcase.
Authorities found 12kg (26lb) of marijuana and 2kg (4.4lb) of hashish in her luggage and she has been detained ever since.
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If Culley was found guilty she could have seen herself sent to prison for 20 years.
However, according to her lawyers, this won’t be happening due to a late plea deal that was just agreed.
According to a BBC report, her lawyer, Malkhaz Salakaia, has confirmed that the 19-year-old is set to be free from prison.
In a recent court appearance, Culley learned that she would be released and gave her lawyer a big hug.
Her lawyer said that prosecutors made the change to the terms of her plea bargain given her age and pregnancy, and decided to free her.
The decision to have her released comes after reports that the 35-weeks pregnant Culley would give birth to her child in prison. She was expected to give birth just before Christmas.
Culley’s predicament has sparked many questions since she was first detained.
Her family learnt that she had been arrested in Georgia which was 4,000 miles away from her last known location.
They had reported her missing after not hearing from her for a few days and believed she was out in Thailand.
Her mother told Teesside Live that Culley had traveled to the Philippines with a friend before going to Thailand, while her friend went to Ibiza instead.
Culley has claimed that she was tortured into trafficking the drugs and her lawyer reiterated these claims and added that she was threatened with a hot iron.
Not long after Culley’s first time in court, her lawyer issued a statement about his client’s emotional state.
The statement read: “This was her first time in court, and she was terrified and confused, kind of lost. Because of that, we decided to exercise the right to remain silent. In a few days, after we've had consultations and discussions, we'll decide whether and how to adjust this position.
"New lawyers, private ones, both Georgian and British, will soon be involved and more details will be told."