A dramatic turn of events saw 19-year-old Bella Culley, pregnant and awaiting sentencing, walk out of a Georgian prison with her baby bump visible.
Originally facing a two-year sentence for drug trafficking, prosecutors intervened at the eleventh hour, taking into account her age, good behaviour, and the fact she is expecting a child.
Emotional Family Reunion Outside Court
Bella’s release sparked tears of joy from her mother, Lyanne Kennedy, 44, outside Tbilisi City Court.
“I am so happy – so happy. We will need to get her passport and then we leave.
Either today or tomorrow,” she told reporters, barely holding back her emotions.
After leaving prison, Bella immediately called her father, Niel Culley, to share the good news.
“I’m not in jail anymore,” she told him. Niel, who had raised £140,000 to secure her release, responded with relief, “Wahey, that is brilliant,” while mother and daughter held hands as they walked together.
A Last-Minute Reprieve
Bella, visibly pregnant in purple tracksuits and a beige jacket, appeared overwhelmed as she exited the courthouse.
Her lawyer, Malkhaz Salakaia, confirmed the sudden reprieve: “She is being released, she walks free. She doesn’t know yet.”
The news had reached her mother just 15 minutes prior, ending in tears of joy.
Prosecutor Vakhtang Tsalugelashvili explained the reasoning behind the decision: “It was our initiative.
We considered her age, her condition, and her good behaviour. She fully cooperated.”
The plea bargain allowed the teenager to avoid serving her initial two-year sentence.
The Court Decision
Under the agreement, Judge Giorgi Gelashvili sentenced Bella to five months and 25 days in prison with an additional fine of 500,000 Georgian lari.
The time she had already spent in preliminary detention counted toward the sentence, effectively allowing her to walk free.
Confiscated drugs were ordered destroyed, while her personal belongings were returned.
Bella and her mother embraced in relief as the sentence was read aloud.
The teenager admitted, “I didn’t expect this at all. This is a huge surprise.”
Pregnant and Preparing for Motherhood
Bella is due to give birth before Christmas. She became pregnant while travelling through Southeast Asia with a man she insists was not involved in her alleged drug activities.
She claims she was coerced by a British gang into transporting £200,000 worth of cannabis from Thailand to Georgia, under threats to her family and horrific intimidation tactics, including being burned with a hot iron and shown beheading videos.
Unaware of the location, Bella says she didn’t even know Georgia existed when she arrived in May, carrying 14kg of cannabis in her luggage.
Her story highlights a disturbing trend of young backpackers being targeted by gangs in Thailand, exploiting the country’s recently legalised cannabis trade to smuggle drugs to Britain.
Warnings on Growing Criminal Exploitation
The case has drawn attention to the surge in gangs grooming vulnerable young travellers.
Following government crackdowns on postal cannabis schemes, these gangs are now increasingly turning to individuals like Bella to move drugs personally, often using extreme threats and psychological manipulation.
Bella Culley’s ordeal is a stark reminder of how young people can be drawn into international criminal networks, sometimes without fully understanding the consequences, and the complicated balance between justice and compassion when a vulnerable person faces serious criminal charges.