Pregnant Teen Bella Culley Faces Jail Unless £215k Bail Paid
Bella Culley, 19, from Teesside, is desperate to avoid prison in Georgia. Her family has just three weeks to raise a whopping £215,000 to get her out.
Countdown Starts for Pregnant Teen Behind Bars
The due date is ticking. Bella, who’s due to give birth by Christmas, was hoping to walk free last Thursday. But Georgian officials confirmed the full bail hasn’t been paid. Judge Giorgi Gelashvili has slammed a hard deadline of October 28 to raise the cash. If they fail, sentencing talks begin November 2.
Drug Bust Shocks: Teen Arrested with £200k Cannabis Load
Bella was arrested in May at Tbilisi airport carrying 14kg of cannabis, worth £200,000. Prosecutors say she knowingly smuggled the drugs. But Bella insists she was coerced by a brutal British gang who threatened to kill her family if she refused.
Her legal team revealed the horrific ordeal she endured: “Bella was forced to carry out the smuggling after being tortured. She was burned with a hot iron and forced to watch a beheading video. She didn’t even know Georgia was a country before this nightmare began.”
Lawyer Pleads for Early Release Before Baby Arrives
“A plea bargain has been reached, now the family is mobilising the funds – but we are not there yet,” said Bella’s lawyer Malkhaz Salakaia. “Bella pleaded guilty but the key is the threats and violence she suffered. We hope she’s released well before she gives birth.”
Georgian prosecutors demand the full street value of the drugs for bail – ramping up the pressure on Bella and her family as the clock ticks down to her baby’s arrival.
