Bella May's dad 'surprised' to find out his daughter was pregnant

Bella May’s dad Niel said he was "surprised" to find out his daughter was pregnant and found out on Wednesday night.

He and and her aunt Kerrie are now in Georgia and held a meeting with a lawyer at an office in Tbilisi today to discuss the alleged drug offences.

"I only found out when my daughter told me last night," he said about his daughter being pregnant. Bella's father Niel lives in Vietnam but retains a property in Billingham, Co Durham.

And it is understood that Mr Culley ha now asked his father to market the house to raise money towards legal help for his daughter, who recently started doing bank shifts as a nurse.

'Bonnie and Clyde' references by Bella before she was arrested

Bella likened herself to Bonnie from the infamous criminal duo Bonnie and Clyde, posting about engaging in "criminal activities side by side" and "making heavy figures."

In one video, she posted a clip of herself alongside the caption: "Blonde or brunette? Erm how about we get up to criminal activities side by side like Bonnie n Clyde making heavy figures and f****** on balconies all over the world."

Another video is captioned: "Don’t care if we on the run baby as long as I’m next to u."

But Bella’s male companion’s face never appears in the posts and he is never tagged. Family members have claimed she met a group of young men from the north west of England in Thailand before she was reported missing on Saturday.

Did Bella get 'sucked' into illegal activity?

It is not clear how Bella ended up in the situation she finds herself in with drugs allegedly discovered in her bag when she entered Georgia.

Her family have rubbished any notion that she is a drug trafficker.

"She’s got sucked into something, somehow," her granddad William Culley said. "She’s not an international drug trafficker. Can she even tell them who's given her the drugs to take over?

"I bet she doesn't. These people keep out of the way. It’s all just very strange and at the moment we just don’t have any answers. We don’t know what to think."

After being told Culley had been detained in Georgia, William added: "I said, ‘in jail? what's she doing in jail? And then she said, ‘drugs’. I couldn’t believe it. Who the hell has she been with?

"She was on holiday with some friends, doing what 18-year-olds do - drinking and dancing. They must have met somebody who's taken advantage of her."

Family's warning about fake fundraisers

The family of Bella May Culley warned people could take advantage of the teen's situation by setting up fake fundraisers.

Her cousin Claire Taylorson wrote on Facebook: "Please be aware that a GoFundMe has been set up.

"Bella’s family do not want any campaigns such as Go Fund Me, and have certainly not asked for any financial help in this form.

“Please respect the family and the difficulties that they are facing."

How will authorities determine if Bella May Culley is pregnant?

Bella May Culley stunned the courtroom in Tbilisi, Georgia, when she announced she was pregnant.

Georgian officials will now carry out a medical examination to determine the veracity of her claim.

Her dad Niel said he was "surprised" to hear the admission and admitted he was unaware that she had been pregnant.

What inmates have said about infamous Prison No 5

Prisoners living behind bars in Georgia's infamous Prison No 5 shared their experience of their time there.

One inmate, who was detained at the jail for several weeks described his cell as "a wild place" where they took turns to sleep and where, in some cases, three people slept together in a bed.

Another said: "It is so crowded here, I could go crazy."

The accounts were heard in a previous report that described the jail as having "crumbling" walls and floors.

Georgian interior ministry statement in full

Georgia's interior ministry said Bella May Culley's could face life in prison in a statement shared following her arrest

The statement read: "B.K, born in 2006, is charged with illegally purchasing and storing a particularly large amount of narcotics, illegally purchasing and storing the narcotic drug marijuana, and illegally importing it into Georgia.

"The committed crime envisions up to 20 years – or life imprisonment."

What report said about hellhole Prison No 5

A report by Georgia's ombudsman into the notorious Prison No 5 made clear the horrifying conditions women have lived in while serving and awainting sentences.

If convicted Bella May Culley could spend 20 years of her life behind bars of the notorious prison.

"When prisoners are received at the No.5 Facility, they are inspected naked and are requested to squat, which the inmates consider degrading treatment," the report said.

"According to inmates, this procedure is especially humiliating and intensive during an inmate's menstrual cycle."

When will new lawyers be appointed to Bella May Culley?

New lawyers are set to represent Bella May Culley in the coming days, according to her current representative.

Culley's state-appointed lawyer Ia Touda previously revealed new legal representatives would be appointed to her in the coming days.

"n a few days, after we’ve had consultations and discussions, we’ll decide whether and how to adjust this position," she said.

"New lawyers, private ones, both Georgian and British, will soon be involved and more details will be told."

Bella May Culley's TikTok huge stacks of cash post

Avid social media poster Bella May Culley shared numerous images with captions referencing notorious American outlaws and posing with stacks of cash.

In one particular post shared to TikTok, Culley could be seen holding huge stacks of cash, showing piles of £10 and £20 notes held together by a hairband.

It was among several photos that Culley took while abroad.

Culley also made references to American outlaws Bonnie and Clyde. On April 11, she wrote in a post: "Blonde or brunette? Erm how about we get up to criminal activities side by side like Bonnie n Clyde making heavy figures and f****** on balconies over the world."

Bella May Culley's dad reacts to pregnancy revelation

Bella May Culley's dad Niel said he was "surprised" to learn his daughter was pregnant and that he only found out this week.

He and Culley's mum Kerrie are in talks with British officials in Georgia to find out when they can see their daughter.

There has been no official confirmation when they might be able to see their daughter in person next.

Who is 'Ross or Russ'?

The reasons why Bella May Culley went to travel South East Asia remain unclear, although there has been mention of a man called "Ross or Russ."

The nursing student is understood to have wanted to meet the "Ross or Russ" in the Philippines before she went to meet a group of men from northwest England in Thailand.

Bella May Culley's parents in talks with British Embassy

The parents of Bella May Culley have spoken to officials at the British Embassy in Georgia following her arrest.

Niel Culley, 49, and Kerrie Culley, 51, arrived in Tbilisi and have pushed to see their daughter who is currently being detained in the country's only female jail.

They are hoping to see her as early as today or in the upcoming days.

Bella May Culley's lawyer reveals why teen chose right to silence

The lawyer of Bella May Culley has revealed why they decided she should choose to remain silent when being presented with the drug smuggling accusation.

Lawyer Ia Touda told Radio Free Europe: "When the accusation was presented, given that it was a foreign environment for her, it was her first time communicating with law enforcement officers, we agreed on such a position that she should exercise her right to remain silent in order to develop herself.

"If she wishes to cooperate with the investigation in terms of providing certain information regarding the accusation, this will be agreed upon later."

Where did Georgian officials find drugs?

Georgian officials arrested Bella May Culley after they alleged she had smuggled drugs across the border.

They said dozens of bags of drugs were found in her hold luggage while the bag she carried onto the plane had clothes in it.

She flew into the country on a plane from Sharjah in the UAE.

Dark history of Georgia's Prison No 5

Bella May Culley is being held in Georgia's only female jail, but the facility hides a dark and deadly past.

During a March 27, 2006, incident, at least seven prisoners were killed and another 17 suffered serious injuries after the use of force by officers.

Human Rights Watch said following the incident that government efforts to improve conditions in the prison, including building new ones, failed to remedy longstanding institutional problems.

Bella May Culley's horrified reaction after being told severity of alleged crime

A suspected British teen drug smuggler detained in Georgia was “visibly shaken” when told the severity of her alleged crime, a lawyer revealed. Bella May Culley, 18, faces a jail sentence after allegedly being caught with cannabis flying into the former Soviet state’s capital Tbilisi.

The teenager had vanished in Thailand before turning up in Eastern Europe where she was on TV handcuffed to an official – telling a court she’s pregnant. Now her lawyer, Ia Todua has disclosed: “When I explained to her that what she was accused of was an especially severe crime then she was concerned and visibly shaken.”

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How long until Bella May Culley will see her family?

Bella May Culley has written to prison authorities in Georgia requesting permission for a visit from her family.

The process can take up to five working days, althought there is a chance Culley could see them as early as today.

It comes after she previously told her granddad that she was travelling to the Philippines to see a lad.

Bella May Culley's lawyer says she ended up in Georgia 'without knowing what she was doing'

The lawyer representing Bella May Culley said the teen was not fully aware about what she was doing.

"My impression was that she ended up in Georgia without even knowing what she was doing," Ia Touda said. "She looked like she didn’t expect it to have such severe consequences."

The teen is accused of smuggling several bags of cannabis and hashish into the country.

The mystery man believed to have met Bella May Culley in the Philippines

Mystery remains over the man that Bella May Culley is believed to have met in the Philippines before she was arrested for alleging smuggling drugs into Georgia.

Fresh details are slowly emerging about how the 18-year-old came to be arrested in Georgia after her family reported her missing in Thailand earlier this week and had started a desperate search. She was seen on Georgian television handcuffed and then produced another bombshell that she was pregnant to the surprise of her family. Bella May, from Billingham, County Durham, is accused of carrying about 14kg of cannabis and around 2kg of hashish into the country.

Mystery over man Brit teen met before being caught 'smuggling cannabis'

Relatives fear 'someone has taken advantage of' Bella

Ms Culley's grandfather William, 80, has said his granddaughter's "very strange" case suggests "someone has taken advantage of her".

He told the Daily Mail: "These people keep out of the way. It’s all just very strange and at the moment we just don’t have any answers. We don’t know what to think. She was just going on holiday and then we never heard from her… she was drinking and dancing like normal teenagers do. Someone has taken advantage of her."

Hellhole prison where Bella May Culley could spend next 20 years

Should Culley be convicted and be sentenced to life in prison, she could be sent to Georgia's only female prison. Tbilisi prison No5 houses several hundred women both convicted and awaiting conviction, and comes with a grim reputation.

Prisoners have complained about "degrading" treatment with a 2015 report from a monitoring group finding a new intake of prisoners being "inspected naked" and "requested to squat."

Bella May Culley's granddad fears he won't see 'intelligent' granddaughter again

William Culley, 80, said he feared he would not see his "intelligent" granddaughter again after she was detained in Georgia.

"I'm terrified that she's in for a long sentence," Mr Culley, from Billingham, North Yorkshire, said. "I might never see her again - I'm 80 years old. She's got sucked into something, somehow. She's not an international drug trafficker.

"Can she even tell them who's given her the drugs to take over? I bet she doesn't. These people keep out of the way. It's all just very strange and at the moment we just don't have any answers. We don't know what to think."

The 'death wish' confession

Among the last posts on Culley's profile are a collection of photos and videos from El Nido, in the Philippines, on May 1 where she confessed she might have a "death wish" as she braved waters potentially infested with dangerous animals.

She wrote: "Sometimes I think I have a death wish, me straight in the water just after they told me there’s poisonous snakes, sea urchins and spiders."

She would then jet off for Thailand two days later.

Bella May Culley is arrested in Georgia

The Teesside teenager was apprehended and charged in Georgia on Monday after she allegedly smuggled drugs across the border.

She appeared in court in the capital Tbilisi after she was reported missing from Thailand. Culley is alleged to have been caught with cannabis at Tbilisi International Airport. Her family last heard from her on May 3 and believed she had been in Thailand.

'She was terrified and confused, kind of lost'

Georgian lawyer la Touda, who was appointed by the state, claimed Culley is "confused" and had said she is pregnant.

"This was her first time in the court and she was terrified and confused, kind of lost," she had said. "Because of that we decided to exercise the right to remain silent.

"In a few days, after we’ve had consultations and discussions, we’ll decide whether and how to adjust this position. New lawyers, private ones, both Georgian and British, will soon be involved and more details will be told."

A customers officers tells how the drugs were allegedly found in Bella's bag

A senior customs officer has told how the drugs were allegedly found at the airport after he saw what he claimed ot be a suspicious bag.

Zurab Tatunashvili described how he was using an X-ray scanner to look at bags when he saw contents that raised his concern.

He said: "I was inspecting luggage using an X-ray scanner. One of the bags appeared suspicious based on its contents, so I marked it with a customs sticker, which indicates that it must undergo a physical inspection in the presence of the passenger in a specially designated room."

Bella's granddad says 'I wonder if what she told me was true'

Bella's granddad William Culley, 80, is waiting to hear news about her situation in Georgia and said she had gone to the Philippines to meet someone.

"She went to the Philippines to see somebody, a lad there, who she used to go out with a couple of years ago, who was working out there,” he said.

"She said, 'I'm going on my own, but I'm meeting Ross out there. Or Russ, I'm not sure what his name is. He was working out there for his father's company or something. But now I wonder if what she told me was true."

On his family's wait to see Bella in Georgia, he continued: "Last night they were told they could see her in the morning. They said they'd ring me straight after they had seen her but I haven't had a call. They must still be waiting.

"It's just really important that they get to see her as soon as possible. The poor bairn must be at her wits' end. Especially if we can't see her. Everything should be done to make that happen."

Bella May Culley's mystery five-word TikTok video

Bella May Culley posted about "getting up to criminal activities" in one of her final social media posts before her disappearance. The 18-year-old was reported as missing in Thailand before turning up in Georgia where she was charged with importing large amounts of marijuana.

Before she appeared in Georgia, Ms Culley was enjoying a holiday touring southeast Asia, with her first pictures posted on social media from the Philippines on April 28.

She posted dozens of photos from the nation showing her reclining on the beach and tucking into local food while looking out onto glittering blue waters.

She hopped across islands in the nation over several days, ending up in El Nido, where she watched turtle hatchlings make their first trip into the sea, and went scuba diving in local lagoons. By May 2, nine days before she was revealed to be in the care of Georgian authorities, she was still enjoying her time abroad.

In one ironic post on TikTok in April before leaving for her holiday, she even joked about getting up to "criminal activities". She wrote over a video: "Blonde or brunette? Erm how about we get up to criminal activities side by side like Bonnie n Clyde making heavy figures and f**ing on balconies all over the world."

Bella May Culley faces life in sewage-filled cell where three inmates share one bed

A chilling report into Georgian prisons were Bella May Cullen is expected to serve her sentence if found guilty describes hellhole jails with filthy, sewage-filled cells, 75 people sharing 25 beds and brutal punishment for anyone who steps out of line.

The British teenager, accused of attempting to smuggle 30lbs of cannabis through an airport, could face a lifetime behind bars.

The Tbilisi Prison No 5 is Georgia’s only women’s correctional facility, where female prisoners are sent from all over the country, and where Bella could spend the next nine months before her trial.

A report by Human Rights Watch revealed the “inhuman and degrading” conditions inside the country’s grim Soviet-era prisons, where Bella May may end up being locked up for the rest of her life.

The human rights group, which visited Tbilisi remand Prison No 5 in May 2006, described chronic overcrowding, with 3,559 prisoners crammed into a facility designed to hold 1,800 - and growing by 18 new detainees every day.

Overcrowded cells allowed just one square metre or less per prisoner, their report found, with some cells having one bed for every three inmates. One cell with just 25 beds held 75 people.

One prisoner who was detained at the jail for several weeks described his cell as “a wild place” where they took turns to sleep and where sometimes three people slept together in a bed. Another said: “It is so crowded here, I could go crazy.”