Joint sentence as British teenager reveals pregnancy in Georgia
Holiday adventure takes dark turn as 18 year old Teesside girl faces life in Georgian jail
The British teenager banged up in a notorious former Soviet-Bloc prison for allegedly smuggling cannabis reportedly revealed her pregnancy in a Georgia court.
Bella May Culley, from Billingham, County Durham, in the North-East of England, was reported missing in Thailand by her parents only to discover over the weekend that she is now 4,000 miles away in jail in the ex-Soviet state of Georgia for drug smuggling.
The 18 year old from Billingham on the North Yorkshire border is currently in Tblisi, and has been brought before a court accused of attempting to smuggle up to 30 pounds of cannabis into the country. Details of the teenager’s idyllic sun-soaked holiday and pregnancy was announced to the Georgian courtroom yesterday, May 14.
The alarm was first raised when Bella’s mother, Lyanne Kennedy, reported her missing in Thailand, where the teen was believed to be enjoying a beach-hopping holiday across Southeast Asia. But the family were shocked to learn she had been arrested thousands of miles away in Eastern Europe for drug offences that could land her in jail for life.
Now held in Tblisi’s infamous No. 5 women’s prison, the Teesside teenager faces serious charges under Georgian law, which include “illegally purchasing and storing a particularly large amount of narcotics” and “illegally importing it into Georgia.”
Culley was arrested after customs officers allegedly discovered 12 kilogrammes of marijuana and 2kg of hashish in her luggage. Her arrest followed a routine check by border agents and Central Criminal Police Department officers, who detained her on the spot.
Georgia officials say she opted to exercise her right to remain silent during questioning, apart from one stunning revelation: she told the court she was pregnant, reported Rustavi 2, a Georgian TV station covering the case.
“The British citizen did not answer the judge’s questions regarding the drug offence. She only said that she is pregnant and chose to remain silent about the charges brought against her.”
Footage released by Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs shows the English teen in handcuffs, being led up the steps of the Central Criminal Police Department.
The charges carry a sentence of up to 20 years to life if she’s found guilty.
Culley’s arrest has turned her once carefree holiday snaps into a digital trail of heartbreak. Just weeks ago, she was posting envy-inducing photos from the Philippines, including pictures of her lounging on pristine beaches, exploring hidden lagoons and scuba diving in El Nido.
In one post, dated May 1, Culley even joked about her love for risky adventures, Yorkshire Live reported.
“Sometimes I think I have a death wish, me straight in the water just after they told me there’s poisonous snakes, sea urchins and spiders.”
On May 2, she posted another sun-soaked selfie, promising it might be her “last holiday photo.”
Her mother told reporters her daughter had flown to the Philippines after Easter with a friend and had spent three weeks there before moving on to Thailand around May 3. She remained in regular contact until Saturday, May 11, when she suddenly stopped replying.
“She was posting loads of pictures and then she went to Thailand. She said she’d Facetime me later that day, but that was the last message anyone has received.”
The teen’s dad Neil Culley and his sister Kerrie flew to Bangkok in a desperate attempt to find her, unaware she had already been arrested in Georgia. It remains unclear whether any relatives have now travelled to Tblisi.
“I’m just waiting on her dad, who is now in Bangkok, to get back with any more information,” said Kennedy. “I just want her home and safe, or to hear her gorgeous little voice.”
Cleveland Police spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday that Culley had been arrested in Georgia.
“We have this afternoon had confirmation from the authorities in Georgia that an 18 year old woman from Billingham has been arrested there on suspicion of drugs offences and that she remains in their custody.”
Culley is currently being held in Tblisi prison No. 5, the country’s only female correctional facility, notorious for grim conditions.
A 2015 watchdog report from Georgia’s Public Ombudsman described degrading treatment at the prison, including strip searches and invasive squatting inspections of new inmates.
Inmates also reported poor hygiene and sanitation, with shower stalls divided by rusting metal and a lack of ventilation or proper windows.
A 2006 Human Rights Watch report labelled the conditions “inhuman,” citing severe overcrowding and violations of international prison standards. Amnesty International and Penal Reform International have both previously urged the Georgian government to address prisoner mistreatment at the site.
The Teessider’s legal team has applied for bail but that request was swiftly denied. It is not known whether her alleged pregnancy will affect the outcome of her case or her treatment while on remand.
The case has made headlines both in the UK and across Georgia, where media outlets continue to track her court appearances. Meanwhile, British officials are offering support to her family back home.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who is reported missing in Thailand.”
As of now, Culley awaits her fate in a foreign justice system, thousands of miles from her family, friends and former college life.
According to reports, she had recently finished an access course at Middlesbrough College and aspired to become a nurse. But that dream now hangs in the balance as the young woman prepares to fight for her freedom in a courtroom far from home, in a country known for harsh drug laws and no-nonsense sentencing.
If convicted, the teenager could spend the better part of her adult life locked away in a prison that watchdogs and human rights groups have long criticised. All while her family continues to wait, hope, and plead for her return.
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