A shocking last-minute twist has seen 19-year-old Bella Culley, a pregnant British national, released from a Georgian prison and allowed to return home to the UK.
Culley had been facing a two-year jail sentence after being caught with £200,000 worth of cannabis, but her age, pregnancy, and good behaviour secured her early freedom.
Her mother, Lyanne Kennedy, 44, was visibly overcome with emotion 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 said through tears.
Family Reunites After Paying Hefty Fine
Culley’s father, Niel Culley, 49, played a pivotal role in securing her release by raising £140,000 to cover a court-ordered fine.
Moments after walking free, Bella called her father excitedly: “I’m not in jail anymore.” Niel replied with relief and joy: “Wahey, that is brilliant.”
Dressed in a purple tracksuit and beige jacket, Bella appeared visibly emotional as she held her mother’s hand while leaving the court.
Her lawyer, Malkhaz Salakaia, handled questions from reporters, while Bella focused on her first steps back to freedom.
Judge Approves Last-Minute Plea Bargain
Earlier, Judge Giorgi Gelashvili accepted a plea bargain proposed by the prosecution, which allowed Culley to avoid prison entirely.
The decision came just minutes before the hearing.
Culley reportedly erupted into laughter and tears when informed of the reprieve, signing the necessary paperwork alongside her mother.
Prosecutor Vakhtang Tsalugelashvili explained, “It was our initiative.
We considered her age, condition, good behaviour, and full cooperation.”
Pregnant Teen Faces Christmas Birth
Culley is expected to give birth before Christmas. She became pregnant while travelling through Southeast Asia with a man she insists was not involved in drug smuggling.
She maintains she was coerced into transporting cannabis by a British gang, who allegedly threatened her family and subjected her to physical abuse and intimidation.
Naive Traveller Caught in International Smuggling Network
Culley claims she had no prior knowledge of Georgia when she landed in Tbilisi in May, unaware that her luggage contained 14kg of illegal cannabis.
She had been manipulated and groomed along a popular route for backpackers in Thailand, where cannabis has recently been legalised, creating a lucrative black market for smugglers shipping it back to the UK.
The case has shone a light on the rise of British gangs exploiting vulnerable young travellers, grooming them into becoming drug mules for international trafficking networks.