TEENAGE drug mule suspect Bella Culley could soon buy her freedom thanks to a breakthrough plea bargain deal thrashed out by her lawyer.
The 19-year-old tripper was held with £200,000 worth of drugs in the former Soviet state of Georgia on a flight from Thailand in May and was facing 20 years behind bars.
FacebookBella May Culley has been in jail in Georgia since May[/caption]
NCJ MediaHer family have pleaded for help to bring her home[/caption]
FacebookBella could now buy her freedom[/caption]
Bella’s legal team are on the brink of a dealFacebook
But her legal team confirmed today that they are now close to clinching a deal which will enable her to escape with a hefty fine after she claimed she was forced into trafficking.
Bella also fell pregnant on her disastrous backpacking trip – sparking sympathy from a judge in Georgian capital Tbilisi at a hearing today attended by her mum, grandfather and aunt.
She is 22-weeks pregnant and expecting a baby boy.
Judge Giorgi Gelashvili denied the British teenager’s plea for bail with a £13,752 surety but said she would be returned to court the moment a plea deal with prosecutors was agreed.
And the deal could lead to her walking free provided her family stumps up a substantial sum to enable her to raise her child away from the grim Georgian jail.
Bella’s lawyer, Malkhaz Salakaia told The Sun: “Negotiations are close to completion.
“The higher the fine will be, the less time she will serve including the possibility of a full release.
“Thats what we are negotiating at the moment. At this moment Bellas family isn’t ready to pay the amount requested.
“It all depends on Bella’s parents. the prosecution is willing to let her go on the same day the demanded amount is paid. We are debating and negotiating on that aspect and its likely that this compromise will be reached before the 9th of October”
Bella’s mum Lyanne Kennedy sobbed “Bella, I will see you in the morning” as the alleged mule – wearing a dark t-shirt and showing her baby bump – was led away after the hearing.
The distraught family of the British teenager now face having to raise thousands to end her jail hell while sums involved remained under close wraps.
Ms Kennedy said outside court: “It’s a lot of money for us.
“They offered us a layered approach: ‘ This and this much’ to let her go immediately and then another offer where she serves some time.
“I don’t know what to do”
Judge Gelashvili assured the family today (Tues): “Of course we are worried about Miss Bella s health and her child.
“Obviously the child should be developing in a free environment.
“Taking into consideration the ongoing success in negotiations and that the family need more time to consider the prosecutions offer, we can move the date of the next trial the very moment you reach an agreement.”
East2WestBella May Culley pictured in a court in Tbilisi[/caption]
East2WestShe was warned she could face 20 years in prison[/caption]
East2WestBella claims she was tortured by a Thai guy[/caption]
Bella claims she was burned with a hot iron and shown a beheading video by a Thai gang, which forced her to fly to Tbilisi.
But Georgian prosecutor Vakhtang Tsaluqelashvili had warned the state would contest her claims after CCTV was said to contradict them.
The words “two years” were overheard during animated talks between lawyers outside court today but details of the state’s offer remained unclear.
Bella got pregnant after a fling with an unidentified British man on the first leg of her disastrous backpacking trip and revealed she was expecting a baby boy at an earlier hearing..
She also claimed she had no idea where Georgia was and tried to raise the alarm when she boarded a flight from Bangkok.
Bella, from Billingham, Teesside was caught at Tbilisi International Airport with 30 pounds of marijuana and hashish in her luggage on May 10.
Mr Salakaia said at an earlier hearing: “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 are no grounds to doubt her testimony.”
Bella – who has been supported at hearings by her mum Lyanne and oil rig worker dad Niel Culley and her grandad William Culley – will return to court on a date to be fixed.
Bella was on the trip of a lifetime
@bellamay.xx / tiktokHer parents have been supporting her through the ordeal[/caption]
@bellamay.xx/TikTokShe now hopes to return to the UK[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
