Latest news with #TbilisiCityCourt
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Pregnant Brit ‘drug mule' Bella Culley facing 15 years in jail despite plea she was forced to smuggle £200k of cannabis
TEENAGE drug mule suspect Bella Culley faces 15 years in jail despite her plea that she was forced to peddle drugs from Thailand, prosecutors revealed today. Bella, 19, was caught in the former Soviet state of Georgia in May with 6 A Georgian prosecutor told The Sun that they have evidence the Brit 'acted with prior intent' 6 Bella Culley seen in court at the beginning of July as her devastated family watched on Credit: Supplied 6 6 She is But, speaking for the first time, Georgian prosecutor Vakhtang Tsaluqelashvili revealed that he plans to contest the pregnant teenager's claims. And he added that the state has found evidence which Mr Tsaluqelashvili told The Sun: 'We have evidence confirming that the defendant acted with prior intent. read more on the case 'She passed through several airports , and at no stage did she display any such, let's say, position or behaviour that would make us think this was not an intentional crime. 'Among other things, at the moment of her arrest, she did not say anything of this kind to the Georgian customs officers either. 'Given the gravity of the offence committed, the minimum expected sentence is 15 years - even taking into account the mitigating circumstances.' Bella got pregnant after a fling with an unidentified British man on the first leg of her Most read in The Sun The naive youngster from Billingham, Teesside, said she was forced to board a plane and never saw the baggage containing 31lbs of cannabis and hashish until she was arrested. She also claimed she had no idea where New CCTV of Brit 'mule' Bella May Culley 'smuggling £200k of cannabis' released as cops slam her claims she was coerced But Mr Tsaluqelashvil said a plea bargain deal between the prosecution and defence was still possible - but may still result in jail time or a suspended sentence plus a fine. Her lawyer Malkhaz Salakaia said that a plea bargain for his client to return to Britain was "quite likely" adding the "opportunity has been mentioned several times". Mr Salakaia told Tbilisi City Court yesterday: 'Bella has an obvious health condition - she is soon to be a mother to a baby boy and I want her to experience it while free. 'It's a pivotal moment in one's life, especially one so young. She is only 19.' Mr Salakaia added: 'There was no malicious intent on Bella's part - she was pressured and forced and there is irrefutable evidence of that. 6 She was caught at Tblisi International Airport with 30 pounds of marijuana and hashish in her luggage on May 10 Credit: Prime Time 6 Bella's mum Lyanne Kennedy (centre) leaving court in Tbilisi on Thursday "Her testimony contains even the names and last names of the individuals who forced her to transport it, she was threatened, as well as her family, including her mother who is present today. 'I want to underline that she didn't hand in the baggage - all she knows is that there is this luggage and she will be met by certain individuals once she arrives. 'The bag wasn't even locked, and it went through three countries and two continents, while Bella to this day is unaware whether Tbilisi is a country or a city. 'Bella didn't commit this crime and there is no grounds to doubt her testimony. I hope you are convinced your honor and knowing your past practice. 'I am sure she won't be found guilty." Bella - who has been supported at hearings by her mum Lyanne Kennedy and oil rig worker dad Niel Culley - is due back in court in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on September 2. Inside the dark world of Brit 'drug mules' A SLEW of drug mule arrests involving Brits have emerged in the last few months. In April and May, Bella was the first after she allegedly tried to smuggle a suitcase of weed into Georgia. Meanwhile, former air stewardess Her two suitcases were said to have been stuffed with 46kg of a synthetic cannabis strain known as kush — which is 25 times more potent than opioid fentanyl. If found guilty, South Londoner Charlotte could face a 25-year sentence. As a young mum was detained in Germany for allegedly smuggling cannabis in her bags on a flight from Thailand - in yet another shocking case. Glamorous Cameron Bradford, 21, from Knebworth, Herts, was detained at Munich Airport on April 21 as she tried to collect her luggage. It comes as a Brit couple claiming to be tourists from Thailand have been busted with more than 33kg of cannabis in their suitcases at a Spanish airport. The pair were picked out by suspicious cops at Valencia Airport after displaying a 'nervous and evasive attitude' and are now behind bars on drug trafficking charges. Experts told The Sun how wannabe Brit Insta stars are being lured by cruel gangs into carting drugs across the world. Then last month, a six-year-old British The lad was picked up by customs officials along with his mum and five other Brits as they arrived on the tropical island. Authorities branded the
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Pregnant Brit ‘drug mule' Bella Culley facing 15 years in jail despite plea she was forced to smuggle £200k of cannabis
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TEENAGE drug mule suspect Bella Culley faces 15 years in jail despite her plea that she was forced to peddle drugs from Thailand, prosecutors revealed today. Bella, 19, was caught in the former Soviet state of Georgia in May with £200,000 worth of cannabis in her bags. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 A Georgian prosecutor told The Sun that they have evidence the Brit 'acted with prior intent' 6 Bella Culley seen in court at the beginning of July as her devastated family watched on Credit: Supplied 6 6 She is seeking a plea bargain deal, claiming she was burned with a hot iron and shown a beheading video by a Thai gang, which forced her to fly to Tbilisi.. But, speaking for the first time, Georgian prosecutor Vakhtang Tsaluqelashvili revealed that he plans to contest the pregnant teenager's claims. And he added that the state has found evidence which proves her smuggling crime was premeditated and coolly carried out. Mr Tsaluqelashvili told The Sun: 'We have evidence confirming that the defendant acted with prior intent. 'She passed through several airports, and at no stage did she display any such, let's say, position or behaviour that would make us think this was not an intentional crime. 'Among other things, at the moment of her arrest, she did not say anything of this kind to the Georgian customs officers either. 'Given the gravity of the offence committed, the minimum expected sentence is 15 years - even taking into account the mitigating circumstances.' Bella got pregnant after a fling with an unidentified British man on the first leg of her disastrous backpacking trip and revealed she was expecting a baby boy in court on Thursday. The naive youngster from Billingham, Teesside, said she was forced to board a plane and never saw the baggage containing 31lbs of cannabis and hashish until she was arrested. She also claimed she had no idea where Georgia was and tried to raise the alarm when she boarded a flight from Bangkok. New CCTV of Brit 'mule' Bella May Culley 'smuggling £200k of cannabis' released as cops slam her claims she was coerced But CCTV produced by Thai police does not show her attempting to alert officers at the airport. Mr Tsaluqelashvil said a plea bargain deal between the prosecution and defence was still possible - but may still result in jail time or a suspended sentence plus a fine. Her lawyer Malkhaz Salakaia said that a plea bargain for his client to return to Britain was "quite likely" adding the "opportunity has been mentioned several times". Mr Salakaia told Tbilisi City Court yesterday: 'Bella has an obvious health condition - she is soon to be a mother to a baby boy and I want her to experience it while free. 'It's a pivotal moment in one's life, especially one so young. She is only 19.' Mr Salakaia added: 'There was no malicious intent on Bella's part - she was pressured and forced and there is irrefutable evidence of that. 6 She was caught at Tblisi International Airport with 30 pounds of marijuana and hashish in her luggage on May 10 Credit: Prime Time 6 Bella's mum Lyanne Kennedy (centre) leaving court in Tbilisi on Thursday "Her testimony contains even the names and last names of the individuals who forced her to transport it, she was threatened, as well as her family, including her mother who is present today. 'I want to underline that she didn't hand in the baggage - all she knows is that there is this luggage and she will be met by certain individuals once she arrives. 'The bag wasn't even locked, and it went through three countries and two continents, while Bella to this day is unaware whether Tbilisi is a country or a city. 'Bella didn't commit this crime and there is no grounds to doubt her testimony. I hope you are convinced your honor and knowing your past practice. 'I am sure she won't be found guilty." Bella - who has been supported at hearings by her mum Lyanne Kennedy and oil rig worker dad Niel Culley - is due back in court in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on September 2.
OC Media
18-07-2025
- Politics
- OC Media
Georgian court sentences another protester to 4.5 years in prison
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Tbilisi City Court has sentenced 26-year-old Anri Kvaratskhelia to four years and six months in prison for allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at a police officer. Kvaratskhelia, who was detained in early December, was sentenced on Thursday morning. Several Georgian media outlets noted that no police officer involved in his case appeared to have sustained any physical injuries. According to Kvaratskhelia's defence had challenged the allegations, pointing to a lack of evidence and a forensic report and stating that it was impossible to identify the person who had allegedly thrown the Molotov cocktail. Kvaratskhelia was arrested during a raid on his home on 5 December 2024, one week into the ongoing protests against the Georgian government's decision to suspend the country's EU membership bid. In an interview with RFE/RL, Kvaratskhelia's wife, Nutsa Eremniani, described the raid as traumatising, and that she had suffered a miscarriage shortly afterwards. went on to note that the Prosecutor's Office based the charges against Kvaratskehlia on two videos: the first showing him, with his face blurred, showing his middle fingers, presumably at the police, during a protest. The second shows a man igniting what appears to be a Molotov cocktail and throwing it near the riot police. Advertisement Kvaratskhelia's defence team has not contested that their client appeared in the first video, but argued that it was impossible to identify the man in the second. The outlet additionally reported that two riot police officers, Nika Chavleishvili and Simon Gambashidze, testified against Kvaratskhelia in court, saying the Molotov cocktail landed 'some three to four metres from them', but denying that they had been injured and noting that they were unable to identify the man who had thrown the petrol bomb at them. In his closing speech before his verdict was delivered, Kvaratskhelia dismissed the charges pressed against him, stressing that he was proud to have 'stood by [his] country'. 'Thank you very much for being so concerned and attending my hearings. It doesn't really matter to me what years you sentence me to, Mr Judge, because I am very proud to have stood by my country', he said, according to Publika. 'Once again, thank you very much for standing by my side. Take care of my mother, considering that she's an immigrant. When she arrives, give my warmest regards to her. Be well, we will see each other soon. We are one big family.'
OC Media
10-07-2025
- Politics
- OC Media
Georgian court sentences 19-year-old to 4.5 years in prison for ‘attacking a police officer' during a protest
Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Tbilisi City Court Judge Tamar Mchedlidze has sentenced Saba Jikia, a 19-year-old participant of anti-government protests, to four years and six months in jail for 'attacking a police officer'. Jikidze never pleaded guilty and has maintained his innocence. Jikidze was arrested on 5 December on charges of 'hitting a police officer' with his leg during a protest on 30 November. The victim in this case is an employee of special operative department Beka Gotiashvili, who during the trial stated that he did not receive any injuries. During the last hearing on 10 July, Jikia delivered his final words. Following the new media ban implemented by the ruling Georgian Dream party, the media is not allowed to record video, audio, or photo during trials. Nonetheless, photos of his handwritten speech were later posted on social media. 'I am not really happy about the fact that I will have to go to prison from four to seven years with absurd charges and that I have to spend my youth in jail, but my arrest had some positive results as well, I got to know amazing boys, I learned the price of freedom, what situation our country is in and the best part is that I will have amazing stories to tell my grandchildren. I will not be ashamed to tell them, because we stand on the right side of history', he said in his letter. Jikia added that he kept coming to court to meet his friends and supporters. 'To show you that we are not afraid and we didn't break. But I still have inner fear. I am scared of defeat, because I don't want future generations to judge us for this defeat', he said. Advertisement 'I am scared of the defeat because I don't want kids to be raised in an unjust country and a dictatorship. So I will do however I can, I will fight till the end. It is weird to hear this from a 19-year-old boy, but this is how it is, my friends. I won't give up'. 'Will it be four years and six months???', from a note Saba Jikia wrote earlier in June at one of his trials predicting his sentence. Photo: Mindia Gabadze/Publika In its coverage of the verdict, the pro-government media outlet TV Imedi, wrote that Jikia had been convicted of 'attacking a police officer with a knife' despite the fact that a knife was never a subject of discussion during Jikia's trial. Post TV, another pro-government media outlet, published a post with an apparently AI-generated, Studio Ghibli-style anime depiction of Jikia holding a knife as other protesters beat up police in the background. An attached caption read, 'prisoner of conscience for opposition, violent criminal Saba Jikia in reality'. Journalists said that Judge Mchedlidze's announcement of the verdict was met by sadness and tears from his friends and supporters. Jikia's lawyer, Guja Avsajanishvili, told journalists after the announcement that Mchedlidze had already prepared the verdict in advance, as the amount of time she took to make a ruling would not have been enough to write the text she read to the court. 'This means that Mrs Tamar came to the final speech with an already written verdict. This means that the judges come to trials with their attitudes formed already', he said. Apart from Jikidze, Tbilisi City Court sentenced two other protesters, Mate Devidze and Giorgi Mindadze, for 'attacking a police officer'. Devidze was sentenced to four years and six months, while Mindadze to five years in jail.
Daily Mirror
10-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Pregnant teen 'drug mule' appears in court with bump as dad blows her a kiss
The 19-year-old Brit, caught allegedly taking cannabis into the ex-Soviet state of Georgia, was said to have been told by her dad to 'stay strong' ahead of her trial Pregnant Brit 'drug mule' Bella May Culley appeared in court today sporting a visible baby bump – as her dad was spotted blowing her a kiss. Bella, who was caught allegedly taking cannabis into the ex-Soviet state of Georgia, faces life in prison. The 19-year-old was asked by the judge what her position was to the charge and she used her right to remain silent. Her dad, Niel, was in the courtroom in capital Tbilisi where he blew her a kiss as his daughter left the short hearing. Bella's trial had been expected to start today but proceedings were postponed with the teen due in court again on 24 July. The teen's dad told his daughter to "stay strong", the BBC reported. It comes after Bella sobbed when she appeared in a Tbilisi court room at a hearing earlier this month – claiming she had been 'forced by torture'. 'I didn't want to do this. I was forced by torture. I just wanted to travel. I study at the university… to become a nurse,' she told Tbilisi City Court on July 1. 'All I wanted to do was to travel and this happened to me. I'm clean - I had nothing in my blood test. I wanted to make my family proud. Thanks for listening.' Bella's lawyer Malkaz Salakaia asked his client to show the court her arm with a scar – apparently caused by an iron in Thailand. The teenager – who was wearing a pink T-shirt– stood up showing the court her arm and cleared her tears before sitting down, looking at her family. Mr Salakaia said his client was tortured with a hot iron on her right arm by a criminal group that gave her the drugs. Bella approached a policeman to seek help but he turned out to be part of the criminal group too, the lawyer told the court. She was told she would be approached by some people in Tbilisi airport, but this did not happen as she was taken by the customs officer already, the lawyer said. The Brit went missing in Thailand before turning up in Georgia in May, accused of taking in about 14kg of cannabis and hashish into the country. The prosecutor, Davit Mestvirishvili, said evidence consisted of the illegal drugs, as well as footage from Ms Culley's phone and iPad. In May Bella, Bella, from Billingham, Teesside, told a court she was pregnant.
