All Brit ‘drug mules’ in foreign jails as pregnant teen Bella Culley may soon be free

As pregnant teenager Bella Culley appears in court in Georgia accused of drug smuggling, we share a list of Brits accused of similar crimes currently held in prisons abroad

British teenager Bella Culley appeared in court in Georgia this afternoon accused of drug smuggling^[1].

The 19-year-old from Billingham, Teesside, appeared at Tbilisi City Court on June 1 and pleaded not guilty to charges of possession and trafficking a large amount of illegal drugs. The teen, who is pregnant, is now on the verge of striking a plea deal which means Bella could be released from prison^[2] by paying a fine.

The judge denied bail with the next hearing in Georgia set for October 9. But Bella isn’t the only British citizen in prison aboard after being accused of smuggling drugs.

READ MORE: Bella Culley: Pregnant ‘drug mule’ on verge of deal which could set her free^[3]

William ‘Billy Boy’ Eastment – Chile

British pensioner William “Billy Boy” Eastment^[4] is accused of smuggling more than 5kg of drugs into Chile and now faces dying behind prison bars if found guilty. The 79-year-old was intercepted at Santiago Airport, allegedly with £200,000 worth of methamphetamine after arriving on a flight from Cancun, Mexico, on May 18.

His family claimed the OAP had accepted to carry the suitcase after being told he would receive $5million (£3.7million) but was unaware it contained drugs. His relatives revealed Eastment was desperate for money after being scammed out of his life savings.

In June, a judge ruled Eastment can be held for up to 120 days while prosecutors gather evidence and consider formal charges. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison, though legal experts say a five-year sentence is more likely if he cooperates through a plea deal.

Jon Collyer, Lisa Stocker and Phineas Float – Indonesia

Jon Collyer, 38, and Lisa Stocker, 39, were arrested at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport in February after customs officers allegedly found 994 grams of cocaine in their possession. The drugs were concealed inside their luggage, authorities said.

It is alleged that Collyer and Stocker were caught with 17 packages of cocaine, with a value of roughly £300,000, hidden in Angel Delight packets. Phineas Float, 31, was detained two days later and is alleged to have been the intended recipient of the drugs.

The three British nationals avoided the death penalty. In July, the trio, from Hastings and St Leonards in East Sussex, were told by a judge they would only serve a 12-month sentence. Taking into account the time they have already served, they could be eligible for release by early 2026.

Thomas Parker – Indonesia

Thomas Parker, from Workington in Cumbria, was sentenced in May to 10 months in prison by a court in Denpasar, Bali, after being convicted of failing to report a drug-related crime. He was arrested in January after Indonesian authorities found him in possession of a parcel that contained more than a kilogram of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy.

Although prosecutors sought a 12-month term, judges opted for a lighter sentence due to what they described as Parker’s cooperation, admission of guilt, and expression of remorse. He dodged the death penalty after investigators determined the package, which he picked up from a motorbike driver in Bali, wasn’t directly linked to him.

Charlotte May Lee – Sri Lanka

Charlotte May Lee was arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after police allegedly discovered 46kg of synthetic cannabis, known locally as “Kush”, in her luggage. She had reportedly arrived alone and was intercepted during a routine customs inspection. She claimed she had no knowledge of the drugs and said they must have been planted in her luggage.

The part time beautician from South London is yet to be formally charged for her alleged crimes, and is being held in a prison in Negombo, a city on the country’s west coast. Her lawyer has told a court hearing she faces months at the jail without movement on her case as investigators are “taking time.”

Kim Hall – USA

Kimberly Hall^[5], 29, was stopped at Chicago’s O’Hare airport in August last year after two suitcases were allegedly found packed with 43kg of cocaine. The Middlesbrough beautician was later charged with possession with intent to supply and faced a lengthy sentence, with the potential to reach 60 years.

But a plea deal means she will serve just a fraction of the maximum term she faced. Hall appeared in a Chicago court last month and had reportedly been due to plead guilty in order to get a reduced sentence between four and six years.

Hall is expected to serve half of the sentence and the year she spent on remand will be taken into account. It could mean she will return home in one or two years.

Cameron Bradford – Germany

Cameron Bradford, 21, was stopped and detained by authorities at Munich Airport in Germany on her way back from Thailand on April 22. The young woman, from Knebworth, Hertfordshire, avoided jail and was handed a two-year suspended sentence by Munich District Court last month after being charged with attempted transit of cannabis and abetting the international trafficking of cannabis.