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The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Pregnant teen Brit ‘drug mule' Bella Culley reveals gender of her baby in court as she makes emotional plea for freedom
TEENAGE drug mule suspect Bella Culley announced she was expecting a baby boy today as she made an emotional court appeal for freedom. Bella, 19, whispered the baby news to her lawyer at a hearing in Georgian capital Tbilisi where she repeated claims that she had no idea 8 Drug mule suspect Bella Culley announced she is expecting a baby boy Credit: Tim Stewart 8 Bella Culley seen in court at the beginning of July as her devastated family watched on Credit: Supplied 8 She was caught at Tblisi International Airport with 30 pounds of marijuana and hashish in her luggage on May 10 Credit: Prime Time 8 The British youngster was supported for the first time by her mother Lyanne Kennedy, who appeared visibly moved as the sex of the unborn tot was revealed. Bella, from Billingham, Teesside, faces 20 years in jail if convicted of smuggling the huge stash from Thailand to the former Soviet state - and bringing up her child behind bars. But she addressed a hearing directly on Thursday, insisting she had no control over her plight. Bella said: 'Gamarjoba!' - hello in Georgian - before pleading: 'I hope you can understand the story from my eyes. I never thought something like this would happen to me.' Read more on Bella Culley The teenager - in a grey turtleneck top with her baby bump showing - concluded the brief statement with the word 'Madloba', Georgian for 'thank you'. Bella has The unidentified father of her child is understood to be a British man she spent time with at the start of her disastrous back-packing trip. She was arrested on arrival at the airport but claimed the bag was checked in by a gang member and she never saw it before Georgian police stopped her at customs. Most read in The Sun Bella's attempt to escape a jail term with a plea bargain deal has been complicated by the release of Thai CCTV footage. It is said to contradict her claims that New CCTV of Brit 'mule' Bella May Culley 'smuggling £200k of cannabis' released as cops slam her claims she was coerced Her lawyer Malkhaz Salakaia told Tbilisi City Court today: 'Bella has an obvious health condition - she is soon to be a mother to a baby boy and I want her to experience it while free. 'It's a pivotal moment in one's life, especially one so young. She is only 19.' Mr Salakaia added: 'There was no malicious intent on Bella's part - she was pressured and forced and there is irrefutable evidence of that. "Her testimony contains even the names and last names of the individuals who forced her to transport it, she was threatened, as well as her family, including her mother who is present today. 'I want to underline that she didn't hand in the baggage - all she knows is that there is this luggage and she will be met by certain individuals once she arrives. 'The bag wasn't even locked, and it went through three countries and two continents, while Bella to this day is unaware whether Tbilisi is a country or a city. 'Bella didn't commit this crime and there is no grounds to doubt her testimony. I hope you are convinced your honor and knowing your past practice. 'I am sure she won't be found guilty." 8 Cops said cannabis was found wrapped in air-tight bags in Bella's luggage Credit: Unpixs 8 The Brit told a court she was tortured into trafficking £200,000-worth of cannabis by evil crimelords Credit: Facebook But state prosecutor Vakhtang Tsalugelashvili argued that there was a risk Bella would flee the country if she was granted bail. He said: 'Since there are no new developments in the case, we again fall back to our previous arguments that she might attempt to escape if released on the bail and leave the country. 'There is also a risk of a repeated offence given given the large amount of drugs involved so we think that same procedures should remain in place.' Bella's lawyer Mr Salakaia said her parents - estranged Ms Kennedy and her oil rig worker dad Niel - were willing to stand a bail surety of £13,600. And he spoke of his concern that conditions at Tbilisi's grim No5 Women's Penitentiary were not good for her unborn child in the heat of summer. Inside the dark world of Brit 'drug mules' A SLEW of drug mule arrests involving Brits have emerged in the last few months. In April and May, Bella was the first after she allegedly tried to smuggle a suitcase of weed into Georgia. Meanwhile, former air stewardess Her two suitcases were said to have been stuffed with 46kg of a synthetic cannabis strain known as kush — which is 25 times more potent than opioid fentanyl. If found guilty, South Londoner Charlotte could face a 25-year sentence. As a young mum was detained in Germany for allegedly smuggling cannabis in her bags on a flight from Thailand - in yet another shocking case. Glamorous Cameron Bradford, 21, from Knebworth, Herts, was detained at Munich Airport on April 21 as she tried to collect her luggage. It comes as a Brit couple claiming to be tourists from Thailand have been busted with more than 33kg of cannabis in their suitcases at a Spanish airport. The pair were picked out by suspicious cops at Valencia Airport after displaying a 'nervous and evasive attitude' and are now behind bars on drug trafficking charges. Experts told The Sun how wannabe Brit Insta stars are being lured by cruel gangs into carting drugs across the world. Then last month, a six-year-old British The lad was picked up by customs officials along with his mum and five other Brits as they arrived on the tropical island. Authorities branded the Mr Salakaia said: 'Pregnancy needs special treatment - basic hygiene. 'She needs water for example, which for several days was not the case in this heat.' Her mum Lyanne burst into tears as the judge Giorgi Gelashvili announced she would return to jail and called out: 'I love you - I'll come tomorrow.' Lyanne said as she left court: 'I love Georgia - it's a beautiful country, but at first we thought Bella was in Georgia in America. 'I've been here three times already and I'm going to visit Bella tomorrow.' 8 Bella has said she never touched the drugs found in her suitcase Credit: Facebook 8 She was denied bail and ordered to remain in custody until the next hearing on September 2 Credit: NCJ
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Pregnant teen Brit ‘drug mule' Bella Culley reveals gender of her baby in court as she makes emotional plea for freedom
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TEENAGE drug mule suspect Bella Culley announced she was expecting a baby boy today as she made an emotional court appeal for freedom. Bella, 19, whispered the baby news to her lawyer at a hearing in Georgian capital Tbilisi where she repeated claims that she had no idea £200,000 worth of cannabis was in her baggage. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Drug mule suspect Bella Culley announced she is expecting a baby boy Credit: Tim Stewart 8 Bella Culley seen in court at the beginning of July as her devastated family watched on Credit: Supplied 8 She was caught at Tblisi International Airport with 30 pounds of marijuana and hashish in her luggage on May 10 Credit: Prime Time 8 The British youngster was supported for the first time by her mother Lyanne Kennedy, who appeared visibly moved as the sex of the unborn tot was revealed. Bella, from Billingham, Teesside, faces 20 years in jail if convicted of smuggling the huge stash from Thailand to the former Soviet state - and bringing up her child behind bars. But she addressed a hearing directly on Thursday, insisting she had no control over her plight. Bella said: 'Gamarjoba!' - hello in Georgian - before pleading: 'I hope you can understand the story from my eyes. I never thought something like this would happen to me.' The teenager - in a grey turtleneck top with her baby bump showing - concluded the brief statement with the word 'Madloba', Georgian for 'thank you'. Bella has claimed she was burned with a hot iron and shown a beheading video by a Thailand-based gang which forced her to fly to Tbilisi in May. The unidentified father of her child is understood to be a British man she spent time with at the start of her disastrous back-packing trip. She was arrested on arrival at the airport but claimed the bag was checked in by a gang member and she never saw it before Georgian police stopped her at customs. Bella's attempt to escape a jail term with a plea bargain deal has been complicated by the release of Thai CCTV footage. It is said to contradict her claims that she tried to alert cops at Bangkok airport. New CCTV of Brit 'mule' Bella May Culley 'smuggling £200k of cannabis' released as cops slam her claims she was coerced Her lawyer Malkhaz Salakaia told Tbilisi City Court today: 'Bella has an obvious health condition - she is soon to be a mother to a baby boy and I want her to experience it while free. 'It's a pivotal moment in one's life, especially one so young. She is only 19.' Mr Salakaia added: 'There was no malicious intent on Bella's part - she was pressured and forced and there is irrefutable evidence of that. "Her testimony contains even the names and last names of the individuals who forced her to transport it, she was threatened, as well as her family, including her mother who is present today. 'I want to underline that she didn't hand in the baggage - all she knows is that there is this luggage and she will be met by certain individuals once she arrives. 'The bag wasn't even locked, and it went through three countries and two continents, while Bella to this day is unaware whether Tbilisi is a country or a city. 'Bella didn't commit this crime and there is no grounds to doubt her testimony. I hope you are convinced your honor and knowing your past practice. 'I am sure she won't be found guilty." 8 Cops said cannabis was found wrapped in air-tight bags in Bella's luggage Credit: Unpixs 8 The Brit told a court she was tortured into trafficking £200,000-worth of cannabis by evil crimelords Credit: Facebook But state prosecutor Vakhtang Tsalugelashvili argued that there was a risk Bella would flee the country if she was granted bail. He said: 'Since there are no new developments in the case, we again fall back to our previous arguments that she might attempt to escape if released on the bail and leave the country. 'There is also a risk of a repeated offence given given the large amount of drugs involved so we think that same procedures should remain in place.' Bella's lawyer Mr Salakaia said her parents - estranged Ms Kennedy and her oil rig worker dad Niel - were willing to stand a bail surety of £13,600. And he spoke of his concern that conditions at Tbilisi's grim No5 Women's Penitentiary were not good for her unborn child in the heat of summer. Inside the dark world of Brit 'drug mules' A SLEW of drug mule arrests involving Brits have emerged in the last few months. In April and May, two Brit women were arrested abroad for alleged drug smuggling. Bella was the first after she allegedly tried to smuggle a suitcase of weed into Georgia. Meanwhile, former air stewardess Charlotte May Lee was also caught allegedly trying to smuggle drugs worth £1.2million into Sri Lanka. Her two suitcases were said to have been stuffed with 46kg of a synthetic cannabis strain known as kush — which is 25 times more potent than opioid fentanyl. If found guilty, South Londoner Charlotte could face a 25-year sentence. As a young mum was detained in Germany for allegedly smuggling cannabis in her bags on a flight from Thailand - in yet another shocking case. Glamorous Cameron Bradford, 21, from Knebworth, Herts, was detained at Munich Airport on April 21 as she tried to collect her luggage. It comes as a Brit couple claiming to be tourists from Thailand have been busted with more than 33kg of cannabis in their suitcases at a Spanish airport. The pair were picked out by suspicious cops at Valencia Airport after displaying a 'nervous and evasive attitude' and are now behind bars on drug trafficking charges. Experts told The Sun how wannabe Brit Insta stars are being lured by cruel gangs into carting drugs across the world. Then last month, a six-year-old British boy was arrested in Mauritius suspected of smuggling part of a £1.6million dope haul stuffed inside his wheelie case. The lad was picked up by customs officials along with his mum and five other Brits as they arrived on the tropical island. Authorities branded the use of a child in the audacious drug smuggling plot as 'inhumane". Mr Salakaia said: 'Pregnancy needs special treatment - basic hygiene. 'She needs water for example, which for several days was not the case in this heat.' Bella was denied bail and ordered to remain in custody until the next hearing on September 2. Her mum Lyanne burst into tears as the judge Giorgi Gelashvili announced she would return to jail and called out: 'I love you - I'll come tomorrow.' Lyanne said as she left court: 'I love Georgia - it's a beautiful country, but at first we thought Bella was in Georgia in America. 'I've been here three times already and I'm going to visit Bella tomorrow.' 8 Bella has said she never touched the drugs found in her suitcase Credit: Facebook
Daily Mirror
07-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Police slam Brit 'drug mule' teen's claims as 'baseless' with fresh CCTV
Bella Culley claimed during a pre-trial hearing that she was forced to smuggle drugs out of Thailand and that 'nobody paid attention' when she asked for help at Bangkok airport Police in Thailand have criticised the claims made by a British teenager accused of smuggling drugs out of the country as "baseless", as new CCTV images of her at the airport emerged. Bella Culley is currently detained in Georgia for alleged drug trafficking and faces a potential sentence of 20 years or life imprisonment if found guilty. The 19-year-old, from Billingham, County Durham, sobbed in court last week as she claimed she was "forced by torture" to smuggle drugs out of Thailand. She was arrested at Tblisi International Airport on May 10 after being caught with 30 pounds of marijuana and hashish in her luggage. She said during her pre-trial hearing at a Tbilisi City court: "I didn't want to do this. I was forced by torture. I just wanted to travel. I study at the university… to become a nurse. "All I wanted to do was to travel and this happened to me. I'm clean - I had nothing in my blood test. I wanted to make my family proud. Thanks for listening." She also added "nobody paid attention" when she tried to ask for help from Thai customs officers at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. But Thai authorities have hit back at Culley's claims, as they say CCTV images from the airport shows her calmly passing through airport checks without showing unusual behaviour. Police Lieutenant General Choengron Rimpadee said "there is absolutely no factual basis to her claims" while presenting airport CCTV footage showing Culley walking normally through passport control at the Thai airport. He added: "There is no evidence whatsoever that any immigration or police officers forced or threatened the suspect to smuggle drugs out of the country." According to Khaosod English, Thai immigration records say the suspect departed from Thailand at 7am local time on May 10. Culley will now be registered as a "prohibited person" by authorities in Thailand, it has been reported. The British student is now awaiting her fate at the notorious Women's Penitentiary Number Five in Georgia, close to the Russian border. It's understood that Culley, who is pregnant, is sharing a cell with two other inmates in the "hellhole" jail known for its cramped and dirty conditions. The teen has claimed she's had no medical care in jail, despite her pregnancy. Her lawyer Mariam Kublashvili said back in May: "She is pregnant and needs medical care which she complained she wasn't getting – there were no tests or checks or medical examinations done, she told me. She said she asked for a doctor, but the doctor wasn't speaking English and they couldn't understand each other." Campaigners and lawyers are now warning that Culley's apparent lack of medical care could "raise serious human rights concerns." Describing reports of her being denied medical care as "extremely worrying", Adam Jones, from law firm HD Claims, told the Mirror: "Even while incarcerated, individuals have the right to basic healthcare, and pregnancy care falls firmly within that. Georgia is a signatory to multiple international conventions, including the European Convention on Human Rights and the UN's Convention Against Torture. "These establish a minimum standard of care, especially for vulnerable individuals such as pregnant women. Day-to-day, Bella should be receiving routine antenatal check-ups, access to qualified medical professionals, proper nutrition, and immediate care in the event of complications. Denial of such care may breach Article 3 of the ECHR, which prohibits inhuman or degrading treatment."
Scottish Sun
07-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
New CCTV of Brit ‘mule' Bella May Culley ‘smuggling £200k of cannabis' released as cops slam her claims she was coerced
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NEW CCTV footage of Bella May Culley has been released - which cops say rubbishes her claim she was coerced into transporting a £200,000 drug stash. The 19-year-old Brit is currently behind bars in Georgia after being caught at Tblisi International Airport with 30 pounds of marijuana and hashish in her luggage on May 10. 7 Bella May Culley claims she was coerced into transporting £200k worth of cannabis Credit: NCJ Media 7 Thai police have now released CCTV footage of the Brit going through the automated gates at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand Credit: Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress 7 Police confirmed she she used a British passport to exit Thailand Credit: Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress But now, furious cops in Thailand say they're not buying it, saying the footage backs them up. Police Major General Cherngron Rimphadee said: 'This matter is not complicated. 'Police have reviewed CCTV footage and confirmed that she used a British passport to exit through the automatic passport control channel. 'As a result, she did not interact with or speak to any immigration officers and simply exited the country.' Thai authorities say Bella's claims of seeking help from customs staff are "absolutely baseless". Surveillance shows the teen, from Billingham, Teesside, apparently passing calmly through Suvarnabhumi Airport's automated gates without raising any red flags. 'There is no evidence whatsoever that any immigration or police officers forced or threatened the suspect to smuggle drugs out of the country,' Lt. Gen. Choengron said. 'It was a deliberate departure.' The footage had reportedly been shared with media outlets in an attempt to debunk Bella's courtroom testimony in Tblisi, where she claimed she "didn't want to do this" and was allegedly forced under torture. Bella's lawyer, Malkhaz Salakaia, claimed corrupt Thai police officers were in on the trafficking ring and that when Bella turned to one for help, she realised he was part of the gang. Brit thugs forced 'drug mule' Bella May Culley to watch man be beheaded…and told her 'we'll do that to you', lawyer says Salakaia alleged she and her family were threatened with beheading if she didn't comply. He went on to claim that "They told her: we know the addresses of your parents, we know where your 16-year-old brother is", before showing her a video of a person being beheaded. The court was also shown a scar on her arm which Salakaia said was inflicted before the suitcase containing the drugs - which she allegedly never touched - was given to her. But Thai police say it's all an attempt to wriggle out of punishment. Officials believe the teen's high-stakes tale is part of a strategy to secure a lighter sentence in Georgia. 7 Authorities say Bella's claims of seeking help from customs staff are 'absolutely baseless' Credit: Facebook 7 Bella is currently locked up in Georgia Credit: Prime Time 7 Cops said cannabis was found wrapped in air-tight bags in Bella's luggage Credit: Unpixs The Georgian prosecution has charged her with "illegally purchasing and storing a particularly large amount of narcotics" and "illegally importing them into the country". Bella currently faces up to 20 years or even life behind bars if convicted. The teen, who now claims she is 18 weeks pregnant, was previously seen online bragging about "getting up to criminal activities" and flashing thick wads of cash. Thai cops said she would now be blacklisted for entering the country "to commit a drug offence", citing a breach of Section 12 of the Immigration Act. Bella's next court appearance in Tbilisi is scheduled for July 10.
