Cerys Nelmes is facing three years in a Turkish jail after she was accused of snatching clothes from a Zara store before leaving without paying – a move she called ‘an embarrassing mistake’
A British comedian who has been stranded in Turkey for weeks after she allegedly stole three items from Zara says she’s “done with being silenced” in an ominous video posted to her Instagram.
Cerys Nelmes is facing a three year jail sentence in a Turkish prison after she was accused of snatching clothes from the Istanbul store before leaving without paying on July 22. Police have barred her from leaving the country while the claims are being investigated.
The mum-of-one claims she simply forgot she was carrying the items she hadn’t paid for, calling the move an “embarrassing mistake.” Cerys has since shared an ominous update on Instagram, where she said “there’s more to [the story] than people realise.”
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In a short clip, she told her followers: “Just a quick one. I was told to stay silent about all this, but you know what? It’s come to the point where, as a woman, I refuse to be silenced any longer. I made a mistake – and there’s more to it than people realise. I tried to put it right, but instead I ended up with people I should never have been around.”
Cerys then went on to say she is constantly stuck in her room near Wi-Fi in case she “needs to send an email or search for something”. She added: “It’s mentally and emotionally draining. I never thought I’d be in this position. From this, I hope others can learn and never find themselves where I am now. But I’m done keeping quiet. I will tell my f*****g story when I finally get home – so please, stick with me.”
After her arrest, footage emerged of the stand-up comedian scanning the Zara store with an armful of clothes on hangers and other items in her backpack. She was then seen leaving while clearly distracted by her phone. In a previous post on Instagram, she opened up about how she was being treated as a suspect, claiming she was “left to fend for myself” and hit with a huge £6,500 bill in legal costs.
She said: “As much as I love the fact that most people in the UK are thinking that I’m being treated over here exactly like foreign citizens in the UK are treated, that is not the case!
“I have been left to fend for myself. The only people helping me have been friends and family. I currently owe over £6500 for a lawyer, interpreters, change of power of attorney, a bed to sleep in and food for breakfast. My country are not helping me whatsoever. And let’s remember, it was 3 items, one of which has since been paid for.
“I’m currently being held here until the trial. No one knows when that is. The minimum I will get is one year in prison. The maximum is 3 years. For less than £100 in value. I will tell my story when I eventually get home. There’s more to it than people think.”