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Bella Culley to be freed from Georgian prison

Rustavi 2 Bella Culley, in a white-walled court room, although she is seen close up so her surroundings are not shown. She is wearing silver-rimmed aviator glasses and has brown hair in a french plait. Her t-shirt is short sleeved and white with a turquoise design on the chest. She looks very apprehensive. In front of her are two people - one seen from behind and the other obscured by the first.Rustavi 2
Bella Culley, pictured at a previous hearing, hugged her lawyer when she was told she would be freed

Pregnant teenager Bella Culley, who was charged with drug trafficking in Georgia, is to be freed from prison, her lawyer has said.

The 19-year-old from Billingham, Teesside, had faced a potential 20 years in jail, but prosecutors made a last minute change to the terms of a plea bargain.

As she learned of the news in court in Tbilisi, Miss Culley gave her lawyer Malkhaz Salakaia a big hug.

The teenager was detained on 10 May having being arrested at Tbilisi International Airport when 12kg (26lb) of marijuana and 2kg (4.4lb) of hashish were found in her luggage.

Mr Salakaia said prosecutors made the change to the terms of her plea bargain given her age and pregnancy, and decided to free her.

Her family previously paid £137,000 to reduce her sentence to two years.

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