As pregnant Bella Culley faces two years behind bars with her baby, experts have shared their fears for the teenage mum to be and her unborn son, urging the UK government to take action
Georgia: Bella May Culley appears in court on drugs charges
Bella Culley’s hopes of returning to her family have been dashed as the pregnant “drug mule” has been sentenced to two years behind bars abroad.
The 19-year-old Brit was arrested in Tbilisi, Georgia, back in May after allegedly smuggling 11kg of cannabis and more than 400g of hashish – a potent form of cannabis – into the country.
Bella, from Billingham, Teesside, has claimed gangsters forced her to traffic the drugs, branding her with an iron[1], allegedly showing her footage of a man being decapitated and even threatening to behead her family if she didn’t co-operate.
Speaking at a previous hearing in July, Bella, who is now 25 weeks pregnant[2], sobbed as she insisted: “I didn’t want to do this. I was forced by torture… All I wanted to do was to travel.”
READ MORE: ‘Drug mule’ Bella Culley could be freed from jail as plea deal being finalised[3]
Bella’s family had initially held out hope of annulling her sentence, with mum Lyanne Kennedy, 44, and dad Niel Culley, 49, having successfully paid 500,000 Georgian Lari (£138,000)[4] to the court. The teenager’s lawyer had previously asserted that the size of the fine paid would determine the length of her sentence[5], and, depending on how much cash was paid, there was the potential for her jail time to be annulled.
However, speaking after today’s short hearing, Lyanne explained that Tbilisi City Court had demanded a higher figure than the family had paid in order for Bella to be released today.
It’s unclear whether Bella will serve out all of her sentence in jail in Tbilisi, or if she could be released to house arrest or extradited to the UK to serve her time closer to home. If she is to give birth and raise her baby boy behind bars, then the next couple of years could be horrific for the teen.
Kirsty Kitchen, director of The Birth Companions Institute – a charity supporting women who face inequalities and disadvantages during pregnancy – told the Mirror[6]: “We are deeply concerned about the welfare of Bella Culley and her unborn baby in Rustavi’s prison number 5, particularly given reports that she has not received appropriate antenatal care.
“The United Nations’ Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners, commonly known as the ‘Bangkok Rules’, are clear: pregnant women in prison must have access to healthcare that is equivalent to that which they would receive in the community, along with a healthy environment, adequate nutrition, fresh water supplies, and regular exercise.
“Yet the most recent inspection of the prison Bella is in, carried out by the ombudsman of Georgia, found a range of issues with drinking water, proper ventilation, and long waits for medical services.
“The UN rules also state that pregnant women should not be held in prison pre-trial, and should receive non-custodial sentences wherever possible. On these grounds, we are deeply saddened to hear Bella will serve two years in prison. We hope the UK government will do everything in its power to ensure Bella’s safety and the safety of her child.”
The reported conditions of Women’s Penitentiary Number Five make for grim reading. Multiple inmates are said to be squeezed into single cells, in a Soviet-era facility described as being in a state of decay.
Although some improvements have been seen in recent times, thanks to funding, there have been distressing accounts from behind the prison’s allegedly grimy walls. One inspection found that prisoners were forced to squat in front of guards, said to be particularly traumatic when they are menstruating.
Meanwhile, a report from the latest inspection of the prison found that new inmates were spending up to two weeks in internal classification cells before being assigned to their block.
According to this report, which followed complaints over hygiene from inmates: “Even though they are legally guaranteed the right to exercise, they are unable to benefit from this right.
“The internal classification cells are located in the C residential building of the facility, and there is no designated outdoor space available for the inmates housed there to get fresh air.”
Although improvements in cleanliness were noted, “it was found that the facility frequently does not receive drinking water”, with both staff and inmates forced to collect water in containers, which they would then store.
It’s clear this is a hostile environment for a young pregnant woman, and it’s feared things could get even worse should Culley end up giving birth behind bars.
Adam Jones, from law firm HD Claims, told us: “If Bella were to give birth while imprisoned, her baby would likely be taken into the care of the state or handed over to relatives, depending on the circumstances and Georgian family law. Immediate separation after birth can have traumatic effects, both psychologically and physically, particularly without proper postnatal care or support systems in place.
“Her case highlights a broader issue: the urgent need for transparent oversight in how prisons handle the care of pregnant women, especially foreign nationals. Without international scrutiny or legal intervention, individuals like Bella risk being left without even the most basic care, simply because of where they are.”
It comes as Molly Ellis, now 32, told the Mirror about her experiences of being a mother behind bars, where she found a “lack of support at every turn”. Molly was 26 years old and pregnant with her second child, Isla, when she was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud, with a custodial sentence of seven years in prison.
According to Molly: “When I finally got sentenced, I was two months post-partum. Then I found out I could bring Isla into prison with me. Because of my first experience – having to parent while dealing with trauma – I didn’t want to lose that bond.”
Giving some idea of what this harrowing experience was like, Molly shared: “There are only a handful of prisons in the UK that allow you to have your child with you – Bronzefield being one of them. You’re completely separate from the main prison wings, but it’s still a prison. You’re locked behind doors. There are bars on the windows. You can’t take your child outdoors unless it’s part of an organised activity. Everything is controlled by the prison regime.”
Detailing the psychological toll this ordeal took, Molly revealed, “It was mentally destroying. I was bonding with my daughter every day, knowing she was going to be taken from me at some point. You get close to your baby, you hold them daily, and then you’re reminded that this is temporary.”
At nine months, Molly made the incredibly difficult decision to send Isla to live with her parents, explaining, “She started becoming aware of the environment. She could see uniforms. I thought the kindest thing I could do was let her go.”
Remembering the day she handed her daughter over, Molly said. “They bring your family into the visit hall. You pass your baby across, and they walk away. You don’t know when you’ll see them again.”
During today’s hearing, Bella’s thoughts immediately went to her unborn son as she considered her fate. Bella’s lawyer, Malkhaz Salakaia, requested: “She pleaded guilty, fully cooperated with the investigation, and the plea bargain has just been reached. So we’d like to ask the judge to release her on bail, given her advanced pregnancy[7].”
Bella was heard asking Mr Salakaia, “Will I be able to take the baby with me if I go back to jail?”, to which he replied, “Nobody is going to take the baby away from you”.
Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com
References
- ^ claimed gangsters forced her to traffic the drugs, branding her with an iron (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ who is now 25 weeks pregnant (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ ‘Drug mule’ Bella Culley could be freed from jail as plea deal being finalised (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ successfully paid 500,000 Georgian Lari (£138,000) (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ The teenager’s lawyer had previously asserted that the size of the fine paid would determine the length of her sentence (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Mirror (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ pregnancy (www.mirror.co.uk)