GO FREE IF YOU PAY A FINE...

Plea deal hope for 'drug mule' teen

- BY SIMON MURPHY in London and MARADIA TSAAVA in Georgia

AS Bella Culley stood in court in Georgia, 22 weeks pregnant with her son, her mother was there to support her, mouthing “I love you" to the teenager.

The family now face the challenge of raising the money that could buy 19-year-old Culley’s freedom.

She is on the verge of striking a plea deal that could lead to her release if she pays a substantial fine.

Culley vanished while travelling in Thailand in spring before turning up in Georgia, where she was arrested at Tbilisi airport in May and found with marijuana and hashish in her luggage. The maximum penalty for taking illegal drugs into Georgia is life in jail.