Pregnant teen ‘drug mule’ Bella Culley is on the verge of striking a plea deal in Georgia – which could see her walk free from prison.

The 19-year-old Brit is facing life behind bars in Georgia after allegedly taking illegal drugs into the country. At the teenager’s latest hearing in the country’s capital, Tbilisi, a court heard how a plea agreement is on the cards. The deal could even mean Bella, who claimed to have been forced by torture, could be released from prison by paying an undisclosed fine. It also emerged that Bella, who wore black in court, is 22 weeks pregnant.

Bella Culley issued a plea at an earlier hearing in capital Tbilisi to see her story 'through my eyes'. (

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Asked by judge Giorgi Gelashvili whether there were any updates about a plea agreement, defence lawyer Malkhaz Salakia said: “We are having discussion about the plea agreement and the process is successful. Most probably the agreement will be made, but Bella’s family needs some time to get ready for it technically.”

Asked by the judge at Tbilisi City Court whether the prosecution had offered conditions for the plea agreement, prosecutor Vakhtang Tsalughelashvili confirmed.

The court also heard how both sides accepted the evidence in the case is undoubtable.The judge denied bail with the next hearing set for October 9. Bella’s mum, Lyanne Kennedy, who was at the hearing, told her daughter she loved her.

After the hearing, Bella’s lawyer Malkhaz Salakaia said:“The discussion is quite ‘ripe’, but money needs to be paid for the fruit.” Asked whether it was possible for her sentence to be annulled, he said: “Yes, it depends on the amount of money paid.”

Bella, from Billingham, Teesside, vanished in Thailand before turning up in Georgia where she was arrested in May. (

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He added: “The higher the fine, the smaller the sentence. Right now Bella’s family is not ready to pay a concrete amount of money. We’ll see.” It is unclear how much the fine could be.

Bella, from Billingham, Teesside, vanished in Thailand before turning up in Georgia where she was arrested at Tbilisi International Airport in May. Marijuana and hashish were allegedly found in her luggage.

In July at a hearing, Bella said: "I didn’t want to do this. I was forced by torture... 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."

Meanwhile, at a later hearing at the end of July, it was disclosed in the courtroom that Bella is having a boy. At the hearing, Bella told the judge: “I hope you understand my story through my eyes. I never thought something like this would happen to me.”