In a dramatic turn of events, 19-year-old Bella Culley, a pregnant teenager from Billingham, Teesside, has been released from prison in Georgia after admitting to drug trafficking charges. Initially facing a potential 20-year sentence, Culley’s fate changed when prosecutors altered the terms of her plea bargain at the last minute. The decision, influenced by her age and pregnancy, was announced during a court hearing in Tbilisi, where Culley expressed her relief and happiness by embracing her lawyer, Malkhaz Salakaia. Culley, who is eight months pregnant, was arrested on 10 May at Tbilisi International Airport after authorities discovered 12kg of marijuana and 2kg of hashish in her luggage. Her family had previously paid £137,000 to reduce her sentence to two years. Culley, who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, claimed she was coerced into the act by gangsters who allegedly tortured her with a hot iron. She had been held in pre-trial detention since May, initially in harsh conditions before being transferred to a ‘mother and baby’ unit. Her lawyer plans to appeal for a presidential pardon. Culley, now free, will regain her passport and is expected to leave the country soon.