A pregnant British teenager is set to be released from jail in Georgia after being held on drug smuggling charges, a lawyer has said.
Bella Culley, 19, of Billingham, County Durham, went missing in Thailand before flying to Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, in May, where she was arrested at the airport on arrival.
Georgian prosecutors say she was trying to smuggle 12kg of marijuana and 2kg of hashish in her luggage.
The verdict in her case is yet to be confirmed and is expected to be announced in court later on Monday.
Lawyers were considering a two-year sentence but “decided to consider the time she has already served”, case prosecutor Vakhtang Tsalughelashvili told Associated Press.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Police footage released in May showed Culley in handcuffs as she made an initial court appearance. Pic: AP
Ms Culley’s lawyer, Malkhaz Salakhaia, said she would be given her passport and would be free to leave the country Monday.
The teenager pleaded not guilty to the charges after her arrest, saying she was tortured in Thailand and forced to carry the drugs.
Her mother, Lyanne Kennedy, who travelled to Tbilisi last week, told reporters the family had paid 500,000 Georgian Lari – about £138,000.
Culley initially pleaded not guilty at a hearing in July to possession and trafficking illegal drugs.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the latest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
Follow