Bella May Culley's dad says he'll stay in Georgia 'as long as it takes'
The father of suspected teenage British drug mule Bella May Culley has spoken out about his daughter's ordeal after her arrest and shock pregnancy announcement last week.
The 18-year-old was arrested in Tbilisi, Georgia, charged with illegally buying, possessing and importing a large quantity of drugs.
Police say they found sealed packages of hash and cannabis in her suitcase after she flew from Thailand to the former Soviet country.
Her father, Niel Culley, 49, has now said he's been unable to visit his child nearly a week after he flew to the country to be by her side.
Niel told the Mail: 'I can't say anything but I will be here for as long as it takes. I obviously have no experience in dealing with situations like this, and it's very difficult.'
Niel, who lives in Vietnam and works in oil, is with his sister Kerrie Culley in the Georgian capital in support of Bella.
Bella's lawyer said police are seeking to establish where the haul of drugs had come from and whether she was planning to hand them on to someone.
But the British teen faces a hellish prison sentence in one of the country's most notorious prisons if found guilty.
Bella had been travelling through Asia, stopping in the Philippines and Thailand – all while showing off her travels online.
Photos posted to her social media showed her enjoying typical tourist activities, including snorkelling and kayaking.
But others suggested the trip might have been turning dark.
In one photo, Bella held wads of cash tied up with a silk hairband, captioned: 'But nothing hurts when I'm with youuuuu'
Another showed Bella in a bikini, with a caption alluding to a Bonnie and Clyde-like scenario.
'Blonde or brunette? Erm, how about we get up to criminal activities side by side like Bonnie n' Clyde, making heavy figures and f***ing on balconies all over the world?
'I don't care if we on the run baby, long as I'm next to you,' she said. More Trending
After going off the radar for a bit, Bella resurfaced 4,000 miles away at Georgia's Tbilisi International Airport, where she was being held following the discovery of 30 lbs of cannabis.
If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment – 20 years in Georgia.
Bella would serve any sentence in the country's only women's jail, the notorious Prison No. 5.
The prison has been subject to controversy, with human rights groups criticising the treatment of prisoners housed there.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
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