A pregnant woman named Bella Culley is set to return to the UK today after receiving approval to board a direct flight. The 19-year-old was previously detained in Georgia on drug trafficking charges but was released on compassionate grounds. She will be accompanied by her mother, Lyanne Kennedy, on an easyJet flight scheduled to arrive at London Luton Airport at 7pm. Culley, a resident of Billingham in Teesside, faced accusations of smuggling marijuana and hashish in her luggage at Tbilisi international airport in May.
After spending five months in a prison in Georgia, where she described challenging conditions, Culley’s sentencing was reduced to five months and 25 days following a plea deal agreement. Authorities cited her age, pregnancy, and cooperation as factors in their decision to release her early. Culley expressed relief upon her release and was surprised by the news. When asked about her prison experience, she deferred to her mother and quickly left the scene.
She is expected to be driven back to her home in the North East upon landing at Luton Airport.