19-year-old British citizen Bella May Culley, who had been arrested on drug-smuggling charges, has been released from custody.
The decision was made by Tbilisi City Court Judge Giorgi Gelashvili, who approved a plea agreement between Culley and the prosecution.
Under the deal, Culley pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to five months and 24 days in prison—a term already served since her arrest. She was also ordered to pay a 500,000-lari fine as an additional penalty.
During the hearing, Culley answered “yes” to the judge’s questions confirming that she admitted the offense and understood the legal implications of the plea deal.
The 19-year-old, who is currently 35 weeks pregnant, faced up to 20 years or life imprisonment under Georgian law before the plea agreement was reached.
Culley was detained at Tbilisi International Airport after authorities found 12 kilograms (26 pounds) of marijuana and 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of hashish in her luggage. She had previously claimed she was forced to smuggle the drugs under duress.
