TBILISI, GEORGIA
—
Bella May Culley
, a British teenager from Billingham, appeared in court Thursday in the Republic of Georgia, where she faces
drug trafficking charges
that could result in
up to 20 years or life imprisonment
. During the hearing, it was revealed the
19-year-old is pregnant with a baby boy
.
Teen Arrested in May, Accused of Smuggling Narcotics
Culley was arrested on
May 14
at
Tbilisi International Airport
, where Georgian authorities said they discovered
over 12 kilograms of marijuana
and
more than 2 kilograms of hashish
in a bag she was allegedly transporting. She was charged with:
-
Illegally purchasing and storing a large quantity of narcotics
-
Importing narcotics into Georgia
At the time of her arrest, Culley had recently been reported
missing in Thailand
by family and friends after failing to make contact for three days. A public appeal circulated online described her last known location in the
Pattaya area
.
Defense Claims She Was Coerced and Monitored
During Thursday’s court appearance in
Tbilisi
, Culley’s legal team argued that she was
forced into cooperating
with traffickers who had threatened her
mother and younger brother
. They cited a
mark on her wrist
as evidence of physical abuse and claimed she was under
surveillance
while attempting to communicate with airport staff.
The defense also submitted the names and descriptions of individuals they say orchestrated the smuggling operation and told the court that those individuals had since
fled Georgia
.
Culley reportedly told officials she was supposed to meet someone at the airport who would
“grab the bag”
containing the drugs, further suggesting she may not have acted alone.
Emotional Moments in Court as Pregnancy Confirmed
Culley spoke briefly in court, offering a heartfelt message in
Georgian
:
“Gamarjoba (Hello)… I hope you can understand my story through my eyes. I never thought something like that would happen to me. Madloba. (Thank you).”
Her mother,
Lyanne Kennedy
, was present and made a
heart gesture with her hands
as her daughter spoke. She reportedly
burst into tears
upon learning the baby is a boy. When asked outside court how Bella was feeling, Kennedy simply replied:
“She’s feeling pregnant.”
Prosecutors Push Back, Citing Flight Risk
Prosecutors argued against releasing Culley on bail, noting that
no new evidence
had emerged to justify a change in status. They emphasized she posed a
flight risk
and might
repeat the offense
if freed.
The court
denied bail
, and the case has been
adjourned until Tuesday, September 2
.
Full details and footage of Culley being led into custody were previously released by the
Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs
.
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