Brit teen's mum knew something was wrong on holiday – now she faces life in jail
The 18-year-old usually active social media user and messager went radio silent a few days before she turned up in Georgia accused of trying to move large amounts of illegal drugs
Banged up Brit Bella May Culley's mum begged her to come home after realising something was wrong - before she went missing and turned up incarcerated thousands of miles overseas.
The 18-year-old was reported missing last week as she enjoyed a dream holiday in Thailand, triggering an international manhunt after her family raised the alarm. She turned up unexpectedly in Georgia, more than 4,000 miles away, accused of attempting to smuggle 34 bags of cannabis after she was allegedly intercepted at airport security in Tblisi with the roughly 14kg of drugs. Her mum had no idea she had even left the sunkissed southeast Asian nation when she resurfaced, having earlier "begged" she return to the UK.
Lyanne Kennedy, 44, told The Sun her daughter had originally intended to go just to the Philippines, but had made a spur-of-the-moment decision to hop to Thailand after a friend split off for Spain. She had wanted to "meet up with some friends" she made on a previous trip, but Ms Kennedy said she didn't "trust some of the boys over there".
She said: "I really didn't want her to go to Thailand. I begged her to come home. I don't trust some of the boys over there. But she wanted to meet up with some friends she made over there on a previous trip. I don't know who any of them are."
The mum said she first realised something was wrong when her daughter failed to video call with her one Saturday as planned, adding no one had spoken with the usually highly responsive teen since Friday. She added that none of her messages were getting through to her aspiring nurse daughter.
She said: "I noticed on Saturday evening that she hadn't called as she promised. On Sunday, I sent a message to her WhatsApp - and could see that her phone wasn't receiving it. The messages still aren't getting through. Even if she's lost her phone, she'd remember one of our numbers and call - and you can log into your social media on anyone's phone these days."
Ms Culley, who regularly posted on social media with dozens of photos showing her stunning tour around Asia, was last active on TikTok, posting on the platform on May 9, four days before she turned up in Georgia. She claimed not to be interested in doing "any drug" before she was accused to attempting to bring cannabis into the country, writing she would look at people "like you are s*** on my shoe" if someone tried to offer her drugs.
She wrote: "I will literally be up for anything. But if you ask me to smoke a fag or a vape or do any drug I will look at you like you are s*** on my shoe." It's today been reported that Bella told the Tbilisi court she is pregnant.
The girl's lawyer Ia Todua, who has been appointed by the state, said: "This was her first time in the court and she was terrified and confused, kind of lost. Because of that we decided to exercise the right to remain silent.
'In a few days, after we've had consultations and discussions, we'll decide whether and how to adjust this position. New lawyers, private ones, both Georgian and British, will soon be involved and more details will be told. She told the court and later me as well that she is pregnant".
The Georgian Interior Ministry "envisions" she could spend up to 20 years "or life imprisonment" if she is found guilty of her reported charges. Local media reports that they include llegally purchasing and storing a particularly large amount of narcotics, illegally purchasing and storing the narcotic drug marijuana, and illegally importing it into Georgia.
Ms Culley was allegedly caught carrying 14 kilograms of cannabis into Georgia when she was flagged during a routine scanner check at Tblisi International Airport. The inspection allegedly revealed "34 hermetically sealed packages containing marijuana were found in the passenger's bag, as well as 20 packages of hashish" according to local media.
Ms Culley has been remanded in custody as she awaits trial, with a judge overseeing the case electing to refuse bail and hold her after deciding she posed a flight risk. A pre-court hearing has been scheduled for July 1.
Cleveland Police have confirmed an "18-year-old woman from Billingham" was arrested "on suspicion of drugs offences and that she remains in their custody". A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) told the Mirror: 'We are supporting the family of a British woman who is detained in Georgia and are in contact with the local authorities.'
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