Pregnant, homesick, and fed up with prison food, the 18-year-old faces life in a foreign jail on drug charges
A teenage girl from northeast England is sitting in a Georgian prison, more than 2,000 miles from home, pregnant and accused of smuggling cannabis. She’s cold. She hates the food. And, according to her lawyer, she just wants to come home.
Bella May Culley, 18, has been held in Tbilisi after allegedly entering Georgia with a quantity of cannabis — a crime that could carry a life sentence under local law. Now, a prominent defense attorney says the teen is struggling to adapt to prison life and has begun asking for basics like fruit and warm clothes.
The details of her arrest and detainment have stirred both public sympathy and sharp questions. Is she a naive teen in over her head or someone who knowingly broke laws abroad? Either way, her fate now lies in the hands of Georgia’s judicial system — and possibly the British consular staff working behind the scenes.
Lawyer Says Teen Is ‘Charming,’ But Worried
Mariam Kublashvili is no stranger to high-profile cases. She once represented Jack Shepherd, the British man convicted of killing his date in a speedboat crash on the Thames. Now she’s taken on Culley’s case and recently visited her inside an all-female Georgian prison.
The meeting, by all accounts, was candid. Kublashvili described Culley as “very open” and “charming,” even as the teenager opened up about her discomfort and concerns. She reportedly asked for warmer clothing to cope with the chilly conditions and said she wasn’t happy with the food.
“She asked for fruit. She’s not eating well,” the lawyer said.
Culley, who has told a Georgian court she’s pregnant, is being held with two other women and seems to be getting along with them. Still, her message to the outside world is simple: she misses home.
From Thailand to Tbilisi: A Bizarre Disappearance
Culley first made headlines weeks earlier when she disappeared in Thailand. She had traveled there from the UK and then, without explanation, vanished.
That disappearance sparked alarm among friends and family. But eventually, she surfaced — not in Bangkok or Phuket, but Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.
The timeline between her last known location in Thailand and her arrest in Georgia remains murky. Georgian authorities allege she brought cannabis into the country, though details on the quantity and exact circumstances haven’t been publicly released yet.
• A conviction for cannabis trafficking in Georgia can result in a minimum of 5 years, and up to life imprisonment depending on the amount and intent.
That’s not a sentence any teenager wants hanging over their head — especially one claiming to be pregnant and thousands of miles from her hometown of Billingham in Teesside.
The Conditions Inside: Cold, Bland, and Isolated
The Georgian prison system is no luxury stay. It’s not known for brutal conditions, but it’s certainly not comfortable — especially for a pregnant teenager from a temperate climate.
Culley’s lawyer says she’s doing her best to adapt but is feeling isolated. Though she’s managing to communicate with her two cellmates, the unfamiliar food and climate have taken a toll. She’s cold, and what she’s being served — likely basic porridge, bread, and occasional meat or stew — doesn’t agree with her.
“She’s asked for fruit. That tells you something,” said a source close to the legal team.
Inmates in Georgian facilities generally rely heavily on food packages from relatives. But with Culley’s family back in the UK, such support is hard to arrange.
One sentence stood out from her lawyer: “She very much would like to go home.”
What Comes Next for Bella Culley?
At this stage, her legal status remains unclear. Formal charges have reportedly been filed, but no trial date has been announced.
The British embassy in Tbilisi has not commented publicly on the case, though it’s standard procedure for consular officers to monitor the welfare of detained nationals abroad.
Meanwhile, public interest in Culley’s case is growing. On British social media, reactions are split — some offer empathy, while others question her actions. It’s the kind of case that blurs the line between criminality and youthful recklessness.
For now, though, it’s the basics that concern her most — staying warm, staying fed, and waiting for someone to bring her home.
British Teens Abroad: A Rising Pattern?
Culley’s case isn’t isolated. Over the past decade, several young Britons have found themselves locked up abroad for drug offenses — often unaware of just how strict other countries’ laws can be.
Last year, 21-year-old Josh Hilton was sentenced to eight years in Dubai for possessing vape cartridges with traces of cannabis oil. In 2021, a teen couple from Leeds was caught trying to smuggle ecstasy into Bali.
What these stories have in common is a blend of impulsivity, inexperience, and sometimes — a stark cultural disconnect. What might seem like a slap-on-the-wrist offense in the UK can mean years behind bars elsewhere.
For Bella Culley, the stakes are now painfully real. Whether she was duped, careless, or simply unlucky, she’s in a prison thousands of miles from Teesside, awaiting a decision that could shape her entire life.
And if her lawyer’s account is any guide, she’s just a scared 18-year-old girl who wants to go home.
