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Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
'Missing' Brit teen could raise baby in hellhole ex-Soviet prison
British teenager Bella May Culley could be forced to have a baby inside a Georgian prison after being arrested on suspicion of importing cannabis into the country Suspected British drug smuggler Bella May Culley could bring up a baby behind bars in Georgia. The 18-year-old – who has said she's pregnant – faces up to a lifetime jail term after being accused of importing cannabis. Bella's being held in the former Soviet state's Women's Prison No.5, where kids are understood to be able to stay with mums up to age three – with special rooms provided. It comes as Bella's dad Niel is still thought to be waiting for an emotional reunion with his daughter at the prison, about a 45-minute drive south of capital Tbilisi. She has written to prison authorities requesting permission for a visit from her family but the process takes up to five working days. Bella had vanished in Thailand before turning up in Georgia where she was on TV handcuffed to a court official. The Brit is accused of carrying about 12kg of cannabis and around 2kg of hashish into Georgia. The teenager, from Billingham on Teesside, told a court she's pregnant. She faces a lengthy spell behind bars if found guilty — which could be life in the worst-case scenario. Women's rights lawyer Eliso Rukhadze explained the likely scenario if Bella went into labour while in prison in Georgia. The lawyer said: 'She [Bella] would be transferred to a hospital [to give birth] and then back.' She added: 'Over the last years, large amounts of funds have been allocated to make the space as comfortable as possible in Georgian prisons for mothers with babies. Up to the age of three, the child would grow up there [in prison] and the mum would have unrestricted access to the child, including breastfeeding. 'Then, once the child is over three, they would be given to the rest of the family. It's not a stressful environment and they try to support these mothers as much as they can, including getting help from a resident psychologist. 'Full medical service is provided – including diagnostics, except surgeries. Equipment is modern. There is a nursery too, trying to create as comfortable conditions for the child as it is possible in the prison.' In 2018, a Penal Reform International Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer said of Women's Prison No.5: 'The prison comprises a series of cell blocks and training facilities as well as an administrative building, all within tarmacked grounds where women hang up washing or use the public telephones. 'Each cell block has its own training room, where women can participate in courses such as traditional Georgian felt making, beauty therapy and hairdressing. There is also a sewing enterprise run by Women in Business, where around 50 women are employed under a contract with the Ministry of Corrections to make mattresses for men's prisons. 'The women can earn a wage, which they can either send to their families outside or spend on themselves in prison.' Back in the UK, Bella's granddad revealed she had told him that she was travelling to the Philippines. "She went to the Philippines to see somebody, a lad there, who she used to go out with a couple of years ago, who was working out there,' William Culley said earlier this week. "She said, 'I'm going on my own, but I'm meeting Ross out there. Or Russ, I'm not sure what his name is. He was working out there for his father's company or something. But now I wonder if what she told me was true." Bella's dad Niel lives in Vietnam but retains a property in Billingham. Mr Culley said he had been instructed by his son to market the house to raise money towards legal help for his daughter. Bella is reportedly the great-granddaughter of the late Labour MP Frank Cook.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
Bear found up tree in Regina had to be euthanized by authorities
A black bear weighing around 200 pounds was on the loose in central Regina early Monday morning. The bear was reported near the intersection of Victoria Avenue and Montreal Street, according to an email from Saskatchewan's Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety in response to a Leader-Post inquiry about the incident. The Regina Police Service (RPS) says it received a call to the area around 4:20 a.m. The ministry email says police were first on scene and reported the bear was up in a tree. Conservation officers later arrived with a 'chemical immobilization kit' in order to sedate the animal and 'relocate' it outside of the city, says the email. However, it goes on to state that 'due to complications' the officers had to make the difficult decision to take the bear outside of the city where it could be euthanized. 'Immobilizing and relocating a large animal is a difficult and complex task. Officers have a high rate of success but sometimes the outcome for the animal is not the one we hope for,' the ministry email states. It goes on to advise that if anyone encounters a bear, they should keep their distance and not try to scare the animal away. 'Make a wide detour, calmly back away, speak in low tones and don't look directly at the bear. Most often, the animals will move on without any intervention.' It notes that if a bear is 'repeatedly doing damage' or if a person has an aggressive encounter with a bear, a call should be made to the RCMP or the Turn in Poachers and Polluters (TIPP) line at 1-800-667-7561. Moose loose in Wascana Lake Wild Regina: Our complex relationship with urban wildlife The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
