A British woman named Bella Culley, known as a “drug mule,” has reached a plea deal with Georgian authorities, agreeing to a two-year jail sentence. The 19-year-old, who is expecting a baby in December, is facing charges of drug smuggling into Georgia earlier this year.
During a brief session at Tbilisi City Court, Culley’s family, comprising her mother Lyanne Kennedy, a charity worker, and her father Niel Culley, an oil rig technician, successfully paid 500,000 Georgian Lari (£138,000) to the court. Culley, dressed in a grey sleeveless cardigan and a pink t-shirt with a new hairstyle, appeared surprised as the details of the agreement were disclosed.
Despite already spending five months in jail, Culley was seen smiling and waving at her mother. The length of her sentence was contingent on the amount of the fine paid, with the potential for jail time to be waived based on the sum handed over. However, the court demanded a higher sum than what Culley’s family had paid for her immediate release.
The court had initially required 800,000 Georgian Lari (£220,000) for Culley’s release. Prosecutor Vakhtang Tsalugelashvili confirmed that the plea deal conditions were met, while Culley’s lawyer, Malkhaz Salakaia, sought her release on bail before the sentencing hearing scheduled for next Monday at Tbilisi City Court.
Despite Culley’s plea bargain and cooperation with the investigation, the judge denied the request for bail citing no legal basis for altering her current conditions. Culley, concerned about her pregnancy, inquired about the baby’s status if she returned to jail, to which her lawyer reassured her that her child would not be taken away.
It remains uncertain whether Culley will serve her entire sentence in a Tbilisi jail or if she could be placed under house arrest or possibly extradited to the UK. The student nurse from Billingham, Teesside, had disappeared in Thailand before being found in Georgia with drugs in her possession.
Culley has alleged that she was coerced by criminals who threatened her and her family if she did not comply with drug trafficking. Despite claiming she was forced into the criminal activity, she expressed her desire to travel rather than engage in drug smuggling.
Following the court proceedings, Culley’s lawyer, Salakaia, reassured that she is in good health, her pregnancy is progressing well, and she will maintain a bond with her baby upon giving birth.
