A pregnant British teenager, Bella May Culley, has been released from a Georgian prison after six months in custody on drug-smuggling charges. The 19-year-old, from Teesside, was arrested at Tbilisi airport in May and accused of attempting to smuggle 12kg of marijuana and 2kg of hashish into the country.
A Georgian court found her guilty on Monday and sentenced her to five months and 25 days, the time she had already served. Her family paid a fine of 500,000 lari (about £137,000) as part of a plea deal. Prosecutors had considered a two-year sentence but decided to consider time already served.
Culley and her mother, Lyanne Kennedy, cried as the verdict was read. Kennedy said the outcome was 'totally unexpected' and that she had feared she would only see her daughter again when her grandchild was born. Culley's lawyer confirmed she would receive her passport and be free to leave Georgia.
Culley initially faced a maximum penalty of up to 15 years or life in prison. She had been reported missing in Thailand before her arrest and pleaded not guilty, claiming she was tortured in Thailand and forced to carry the drugs. Her lawyer said she showed visible physical signs of torture upon arrival in Georgia.
