A British teenage ‘drugs mule’ locked up in a Georgia jail is said to have finally been reunited with her father.
Bella Culley, 18, was arrested after she allegedly tried to smuggle 14kg of cannabis into the country earlier this month.
As soon as the news broke on May 13, Bella’s father, Niel Culley, 49, flew to the ex-Soviet state to be by his daughter’s side.
But Niel was not allowed to see Bella – until now.
The terrified father was yesterday said to have finally visited his girl at Women’s Prison No.5 in Rustavi.
The 49-year old was spotted entering the prison with a bag before leaving without it 45 minutes later, presumably having dropped off some supplies to his daughter.
He has vowed to stay in Georgia for ‘as long as it takes’ to bring Bella back home.
The teenager, from Billingham on Teesside, had to write to prison authorities requesting permission before her family could visit her.
The reunion came just days after Bella revealed she has been left freezing in her jail cell and is receiving no medical attention despite telling officials she is pregnant.
A British teenage ‘drugs mule’ locked up in a Georgia jail has finally been reunited with her father. Bella Culley (pictured), 18, was arrested after she allegedly tried to smuggle 14kg of cannabis into the country earlier this month
As soon as the news broke on May 13 Bella’s father, Niel Culley, 49, flew out to the ex-Soviet state to be by his daughter’s side. But, Niel had not been allowed to see Bella until he visited her at Women’s Prison No.5 in Rustavi yesterday
The 49-year old was spotted going into the prison with a bag before leaving without it 45 minutes later – presumably having dropped off some supplies to his daughter
She is sharing a cell with two other women inmates, but it was unclear what crimes they have been accused of or committed, Culley’s lawyer said
She asked for a jumper and warmer clothes and requested fresh fruit after being visited by local celebrity lawyer Mariam Kublashvili.
Bella, who is sharing a cell with two inmates called Anastasya and Ani, also requested tuna which Ms Kublashvili believes may be ‘pregnancy cravings’.
‘She is pregnant and needs medical care which she complained she wasn’t getting,’ the glamorous Georgian lawyer told the Mail after a 30-minute meeting with her on May 19.
‘She asked me for tuna fish which I thought was odd and might have been something to do with pregnancy cravings – but fish cannot be sent in.
‘She told me no tests, checks or medical examinations have been done.
‘She said she asked for a doctor, but the doctor wasn’t speaking English and they couldn’t understand each other.’
Ms Kublashvili, who previously represented speedboat killer Jack Shepherd when he was caught in Georgia, has been closely following the case and said she has great sympathy for Bella’s predicament.
Bella was arrested at Tbilisi Airport on May 11 and found with 12kg of cannabis and 2kg of hashish after getting a £550 Air Arabia flight from Bangkok via Sharjah
The 18-year-old asked for a jumper and warmer clothes and requested fresh fruit after being visited by local celebrity lawyer Mariam Kublashvili (pictured)
The meeting was the first time the teenage Brit has been heard from since she appeared in Tbilisi city court on May 13 appearing shell shocked dressed only in a skimpy white top and shorts
While she is not representing the teenager, the former model used a routine visit to her prison to meet her and offered to use her legal clout to get her supplies.
Ms Kublashivili, 39, who has specialised in helping female prisoners, said Bella was ‘visibly cold’ in the drafty meeting room and requested a jumper as she only had on a thin dark green top and blue leggings.
She said: ‘My Initial impression was very positive – she is very open, very pleasant, and charming. She doesn’t fit the profile of a drug trafficker at all.
‘For anyone, like me, with experience in dealing with such cases, it would be quite obvious that she is a victim here – she’s been used and manipulated.
‘I have a 20-year-old child myself and can only imagine what her parents must be feeling.’
Bella was arrested at Tbilisi Airport on May 11 and found with 12kg of cannabis and 2kg of hashish after getting a £550 Air Arabia flight from Bangkok via Sharjah.
She is sharing a cell with two other women inmates, but it was unclear what crimes they have been accused of or committed, Ms Kublashvili said.
Bella, who is sharing a cell with two inmates called Anastasya and Ani, also requested tuna which Ms Kublashvili believes may be ‘pregnancy cravings’
She had been travelling around South East Asia and only appears to have clothes for the beach despite the cold conditions of her jail cell
The lawyer added: ‘She is getting along well with her inmates – two of them, Anastasya and Ani.
‘She asked me to get in touch with her dad – she said she knew he was getting lawyers and that carried significant financial costs.
‘But I have a great deal of experience helping women in situations like this and want to do all I can for her – and I’m offering my service free of charge.’
Ms Kublashivili said Bella was ‘very polite’ and ‘shy’, saying thank you ‘every five minutes’.
The meeting was the first time the teenage Brit has been heard from since she appeared in Tbilisi city court on May 13 appearing shell shocked dressed only in a skimpy white top and shorts.
She had been travelling around South East Asia and only appears to have clothes for the beach despite the cold conditions of her jail cell.
