Pregnant accused drug trafficker Bella Culley’s legal team is seeking her pre-birth release from prison, according to information obtained by a news source. This development arises despite the 19-year-old Brit reaching a plea agreement that will result in a two-year jail sentence for her involvement in an alleged drug smuggling attempt from Thailand to Georgia. Culley, expected to deliver in December, will face formal sentencing next week.
During a court session in Tbilisi, it was disclosed that Culley’s family, including her mother Lyanne Kennedy, 44, and father Niel Culley, 49, an oil rig worker, have paid £138,000 to the court. The specifics of whether she will serve her sentence entirely in a women’s facility near Tbilisi, her current location, or potentially be placed under house arrest or extradited to the UK for serving time remain uncertain.
Nevertheless, it has been revealed that Culley’s legal representatives are contemplating applying for a presidential pardon, which could lead to her prompt departure from Georgia if granted. In the event that a pardon bid is unsuccessful, sources indicate that Culley might still be granted parole before childbirth due to her pregnancy and exemplary conduct during incarceration.
If neither of these avenues materializes, reports from Georgia suggest that Culley will be transferred from prison to a nearby hospital for childbirth, after which she would be permitted to care for her child within a specially designated custody room. Culley, visibly surprised during the recent court proceedings where details of the plea deal emerged, later appeared content and exchanged smiles with her mother.
Her lawyer had previously indicated that the amount of the fine paid would influence the length of her sentence, with the potential for annulment of jail time based on the sum provided. Following the court session, Culley’s mother mentioned that the court had initially demanded a higher sum than what the family had paid for her release.
Prosecutor Vakhtang Tsalugelashvili confirmed the completion of the plea agreement terms during the court hearing, while Bella’s lawyer Malkhaz Salakaia requested a final hearing to obtain the ultimate verdict. Despite the lawyer’s plea for bail before sentencing, the judge denied the request citing a lack of legal grounds for altering Culley’s confinement conditions.
In a conversation with her lawyer, Culley expressed concerns about her baby’s fate upon her potential return to jail, to which she received reassurance that her child would remain with her. Culley, a student nurse from Billingham, Teesside, had gone missing in Thailand before being apprehended in Georgia for the possession of cannabis.
Alleging coercion by criminals, who subjected her to torture and threats against her family, Culley insisted that she had been forced into drug trafficking against her will. As the legal proceedings continue, her lawyer affirmed that Culley’s pregnancy is progressing smoothly, ensuring that she would have the opportunity to bond with her child after birth.