<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>British teenager Bella May Culley, who was arrested in Georgia on drug smuggling charges earlier this year, has been released from prison as part of a plea deal.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Culley, 19, who is pregnant, was arrested in May at Tbilisi Airport and accused of attempting to smuggle 12 kilograms of marijuana and two kilograms of hashish into the country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She was found guilty by a Georgian court on Monday and sentenced to five months and 25 days in prison, the total time she had already spent in custody. Her family also paid a 500,000 lari (about $282,000) fine as part of a plea deal.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Culley and her mother, Lyanne Kennedy, both cried as the verdict was read and embraced when the hearing finished.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Georgian prosecutors were considering a two-year sentence, but "decided to consider the time she has already served", case prosecutor Vakhtang Tsalughelashvili told The Associated Press. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We reviewed the case, taking into account the confession of the accused, her age and condition, and ultimately, the parties reached an agreement."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The teenager was informed of the decision shortly before the court session began. Her mother told the AP she had believed that she would only see her daughter in person again when her grandchild was born. </span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/bella-culley-update-pregnant-british-teen-arrested-for-drug-smuggling-in-georgia-released-after-guilty-verdict/ffa2048a-de7c-4169-959b-2f9e0964601c" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It was totally unexpected," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She also joked to Culley that she might name her unborn baby in honour of her lawyer, Malkhaz Salakhaia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Salakhaia confirmed that Culley would be given her passport and would be free to leave the country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The lawyer also said she believed that the court "made the decision they had to make" based on the circumstances of the case. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Bella was sincere throughout the investigation," Salakhaia said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Culley initially faced a maximum penalty of up to 15 years or life in prison.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In Georgia, a nation of 3.7 million in the South Caucasus, the law allows for financial plea agreements that can be reached to reduce or eliminate a prison sentence in certain cases. Such plea agreements are often reached in drug-related cases.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Culley, who is from Teesside, in north-east England, was reported missing in Thailand prior to her arrest at the Tbilisi airport on May 10. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The teenager pleaded not guilty to the charges after her arrest, saying she was tortured in Thailand and forced to carry the drugs.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Salakhaia has told reporters that she showed visible physical signs of torture upon her arrival in Georgia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em></em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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