The 18-year-old’s dad, Niel, has been spotted visiting Bella at prison in what is thought to be their first meeting since her arrest this month for allegedly importing cannabis
British drug smuggling suspect Bella Culley has been reunited with her dad who has visited the teen behind bars in Georgia.
The 18-year-old vanished in Thailand before turning up in Georgia where she faces life in jail after allegedly importing cannabis. Now dad, Niel, has been spotted visiting Bella at prison in what is thought to be their first meeting since her arrest. The Brit – who has told a court she is pregnant – is being held at Women’s Prison No.5 in Rustavi, about 45 minutes south of the ex-Soviet state’s capital Tbilisi. It comes as Bella’s new lawyer has described the teenager as “not far from childhood” – and said she is ready to defend herself.
Niel, 49, was seen going into the prison alone on Wednesday morning with a medium-sized dark blue blag. When he was spotted about 45 minutes later he did not have the bag – suggesting he had dropped off supplies to his daughter. A lawyer who said she visited her earlier this week said the teenager had requested fruit and warmer clothing. It comes after we reported last week how dad Niel faced an agonising wait to be reunited with her.
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His daughter had to write to prison authorities requesting permission for a family visit. Bella – arrested at Tbilisi International Airport on 11 May – is accused of carrying about 12kg of cannabis and around 2kg of hashish into Georgia. If found guilty, she faces a lengthy prison spell — which could be life in the worst-case scenario.
Meanwhile, the teenager, from Billingham on Teesside, is said to have had her first meeting with the new family-appointed lawyer. The lawyer, Malkhaz Salakaia, reportedly said he had to explain to Bella where she was geographically. Mr Salakaia said Bella was in “good health” – but would not describe her as an adequate adult, the BBC reported.
Their first meeting was said to have lasted two hours. The lawyer said his client was ready to defend herself in court, the BBC reported. Mr Salakaia said Bella does not have any complaints about the location of detention. Asked whether he would describe Bella as an adequate adult, he answered “no”. His impression was that she was “not far from childhood”. During the meeting, Bella was reportedly also giving evidence to investigators.
On Monday, we revealed how a celebrity lawyer said she visited Bella at the prison. Mariam Kublashvili described the British teenager as “very open” and “charming”. The lawyer, who offered her services to Bella for free but is not representing her, said: “She is pregnant and needs medical care which she complained she wasn’t getting – there were no tests / checks or medical examinations done, she told me. She said she asked for a doctor, but the doctor wasn’t speaking English and they couldn’t understand each other.”
The lawyer, who appeared on Georgia’s version of Strictly, once represented speedboat killer Jack Shepherd. Kublashvili, 39, also said of Bella: “Initial impression was very positive – she is very open, very pleasant, charming. She doesn’t fit a profile of [a] drug trafficker at all. For anyone with any experience in dealing with such legal cases, it would be quite obvious that she is a victim here, [that] she’s been used and manipulated. I have a 20-year-old child myself and can only imagine what her parents must be feeling.”
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She added: “[She] Asked me if a jumper and warmer clothes (size M) could be sent to her… She wants fruits as well – doesn’t like what she is fed in the prison at all… Said she would very much like to go home.” Bella is next expected in court on July 1.
