Bella May Culley, a teenager from Britain who faced drug smuggling charges in Georgia, has been released from prison following a plea agreement.
The 19-year-old, who is expecting a child, was detained in May at Tbilisi Airport. She was accused of attempting to smuggle 12 kilograms of marijuana and two kilograms of hashish into Georgia.
A Georgian court found Culley guilty on Monday, sentencing her to five months and 25 days—the duration she had already been in custody. Her release was also contingent upon her family paying a fine of 500,000 lari, roughly equivalent to $282,000, as part of the plea deal.
Both Culley and her mother, Lyanne Kennedy, were visibly emotional as they embraced after the verdict was delivered.
Initially, Georgian prosecutors had considered a two-year sentence. However, prosecutor Vakhtang Tsalughelashvili informed The Associated Press that they opted to account for the time she had already served.
“We examined the case thoroughly, considering the defendant’s confession, her age, and her condition, which led to an agreement between the involved parties,” Tsalughelashvili explained.
The teenager was informed of the decision shortly before the court session began. Her mother told the AP she had believed that she would only see her daughter in person again when her grandchild was born.
“It was totally unexpected,” she said.
She also joked to Culley that she might name her unborn baby in honour of her lawyer, Malkhaz Salakhaia.
Salakhaia confirmed that Culley would be given her passport and would be free to leave the country.
The lawyer also said she believed that the court “made the decision they had to make” based on the circumstances of the case.
“Bella was sincere throughout the investigation,” Salakhaia said.
Culley initially faced a maximum penalty of up to 15 years or life in prison.
In Georgia, a nation of 3.7 million in the South Caucasus, the law allows for financial plea agreements that can be reached to reduce or eliminate a prison sentence in certain cases. Such plea agreements are often reached in drug-related cases.
Culley, who is from Teesside, in north-east England, was reported missing in Thailand prior to her arrest at the Tbilisi airport on May 10.
The teenager pleaded not guilty to the charges after her arrest, saying she was tortured in Thailand and forced to carry the drugs.
Salakhaia has told reporters that she showed visible physical signs of torture upon her arrival in Georgia.
