Pregnant Brit facing jail after 'smuggling 14kg of cannabis into Georgia' tells court 'I didn't think this would happen to me'
A British teen held in a Georgian prison accused of drug-smuggling has told a court, “I never thought this would happen to me”, as she was told she would face another five weeks behind bars.
Listen to this article
Bella Culley, 19, faces life behind bars after being arrested earlier this year for allegedly taking 14kg of cannabis into Georgia.
Culley, the great-granddaughter of a former Labour MP, claims to be pregnant and was arrested upon her arrival in Tbilisi in early 2025.
Today, a court ordered her to serve at least five more weeks in prison as she awaits trial.
Read more: Police hunt three men wanted over violence at Epping migrant hotel protest
Speaking during the hearing, she told the court: “I hope you understand my story through my eyes. I never thought something like this would happen to me.”
Culley’s lawyer, Malkhaz Salakia, told the court there was no evidence to suggest the teen meant to break the law, saying: “There were people who forced my client to commit this unknowingly.”
“Bella will become a mother soon, she is expecting a boy,” Salakia added.
“I want her to feel this motherhood in freedom. It’s a moment of her becoming a mother for the first time in her life – she turned 19 this June.
“Since the crime committed is not connected to Georgia, and her family has been here – father before and now the mother is here – they are here to look after her, and there is no possibility of influencing the witnesses because they are police and officials, she can be assigned to visit the police department two times per month or every day.
“However, the judge decides – she will fulfil her duty. It’s summer, and a pregnant woman needs special hygiene in the month of July – we are offering a plea agreement of 50,000 [Georgian lari; more than £13,500], which will be paid immediately and we ask her immediately to be set free.”
Despite her lawyer’s pleas, the judge concluded no new evidence had been presented and ordered the teenager to spend another five weeks in prison.
Speaking at a previous hearing, Culley said: “I didn’t want to do this. I was forced by torture. I just wanted to travel. I study at the university… to become a nurse.
"All I wanted to do was to travel and this happened to me. I’m clean - I had nothing in my blood test. I wanted to make my family proud. Thanks for listening.”
The teenager was reported missing in Thailand by her family, before she was found in Georgia, accused of taking in about 14kg of cannabis and hashish.