Bella Culley's dad visits pregnant 'drug smuggling' teen behind bars in Georgia
Bella Culley's dad Niel Culley has been spotted visiting his 18-year-old daughter in prison in Georgia for the first time since her arrest in May.
British drug smuggling suspect Bella Culley has been reunited with her father who visited the teenager in a Georgian prison.
The 18-year-old disappeared in Thailand before reappearing in Georgia, where she is now facing a potential life sentence for allegedly importing cannabis. Her father, Niel, was recently seen visiting Bella at the Women's Prison No. 5 in Rustavi, which is believed to be their first encounter since her arrest.
The Briton, who has informed the court of her pregnancy, is being detained approximately 45 minutes south of Tbilisi, the capital of the former Soviet nation.
This development follows the appointment of Bella's new solicitor, who has referred to the teen as "not far from childhood" and affirmed her readiness to defend herself.
Niel, aged 49, was observed entering the penitentiary alone on Wednesday morning carrying a medium-sized dark blue bag. He was noticed leaving without the bag roughly 45 minutes later, indicating he may have delivered items to his daughter, reports the Mirror.
Earlier in the week, a legal representative who had visited Bella mentioned that she had asked for fruit and warmer clothes. This comes after reports last week detailed Niel's distressing wait to see his daughter again.
Bella had to formally request a family visit through the prison authorities. She was apprehended at Tbilisi International Airport on 11 May with approximately 12kg of cannabis and around 2kg of hashish.
A conviction could result in a substantial period of incarceration, with the possibility of a life sentence in the most severe outcome.
The teenager, from Billingham, Teesside, recently had her first meeting with her new family-appointed lawyer, Malkhaz Salakaia. According to reports, Mr Salakaia had to explain her geographical location to Bella during their two-hour meeting.
He described her as being in "good health" but stopped short of calling her a capable adult. The lawyer stated that Bella is prepared to defend herself in court and has no complaints about her detention facility.
However, when asked if he considered her a mature adult, he replied, "no", saying she seemed "not far from childhood". During their meeting, Bella reportedly provided evidence to investigators.
This comes after a celebrity lawyer, Mariam Kublashvili, visited Bella at the prison on Monday, describing the British teenager as "very open" and "charming". Although not officially representing Bella, Ms Kublashvili offered her services pro bono and reported that Bella complained about not receiving adequate medical care for her pregnancy, including a lack of tests, checks, and medical examinations.
Bella allegedly requested a doctor, but they didn't speak English, leading to communication difficulties. The solicitor, who once appeared on Georgia's version of Strictly and represented speedboat killer Jack Shepherd, spoke highly of Bella.
Kublashvili, 39, said: "Initial impression was very positive – she is very open, very pleasant, charming. She doesn't fit a profile of [a] drug trafficker at all. For anyone with any experience in dealing with such legal cases, it would be quite obvious that she is a victim here, [that] she's been used and manipulated. I have a 20-year-old child myself and can only imagine what her parents must be feeling."
She further added: "[She] Asked me if a jumper and warmer clothes (size M) could be sent to her... She wants fruits as well – doesn't like what she is fed in the prison at all... Said she would very much like to go home."
Bella is due to appear in court next on July 1.
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