Cerys Nelmes, who works as a stand-up comic in Bristol, is facing a minimum of one-year in prison after she was caught leaving a Zara in Turkey with unpaid items
A British comic has broken her silence after being arrested in Turkey for allegedly stealing three items from Zara.
Mum-of-one Cerys Nelmes could be sent to a Turkish prison for three years after she was accused of thieving clothes from the Istanbul store on July 22. Police have prohibited Cerys from leaving the country while the claims are investigated.
Footage has since emerged of the stand-up comedian first browsing the store with an armful of clothes on hangers and other items in her backpack. She is then seen leaving the store while clearly distracted by her phone. She claims that she completely forgot she was carrying items that she hadn’t paid for.
She has now taken to Instagram to share details of how she is being treated as a suspect in a criminal case abroad, claiming she’s been “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.”
Cerys previously said she returned to the store without argument over the forgotten 6,000 lira (£110)-worth of clothing still in her backpack. But she told her social media followers she was then detained and locked in a room for hours with no explanation.
From there, she was taken to a police station and said she was pressured to sign documents in a language she could not read. She was released on probation by a judge after 24 hours in a holding cell, allegedly with no food, water or loo. She has since been released but has been forbidden from leaving the country and is being put up by a local family as she does not have the money for an extended stay. The police investigation is ongoing.
“I was told they didn’t understand me,” said Nelmes. The next day, she was brought before a judge who released her but banned her from leaving the country. She now faces a potential three-year sentence as the case proceeds.
Ms Nelmes says she is stranded in Turkey, unable to afford accommodation and missing out on work back home, putting her and her son at risk of losing their UK home. She said: “I’m ok and have been taken in by a Turkish family who gave me food and a bed. I don’t deserve all the kind words from people but I am very grateful.”
On her website it states of her career: “Cerys has worked very hard to forge a strong career in the comedy industry.
She is a leading mc on the comedy circuit, working for major UK clubs and UK charity events. Cerys has a fantastic stage presence and her audience interaction is flawless.”