Bella May Culley, a 18-year-old British national and great-granddaughter of ex-Labour MP Frank Cook, has been arrested in Georgia for allegedly trying to smuggle 30 pounds of cannabis at Tbilisi International Airport. The arrest connects Culley to a prominent British political individual while causing concern regarding her possible imprisonment in Georgia’s allegedly overcrowded prison network.
Authorities arrested Culley at the airport, and she subsequently appeared in a Tbilisi court. In court, she disclosed that she is pregnant. Her link to Frank Cook, who served Stockton North for almost thirty years before dying of lung cancer in 2012, was reported by the Daily Mail.
Social Media Trail Reveals Lavish Lifestyle
Bella, a university student, had been exploring Southeast Asia, with evidence of scuba diving escapades in Thailand and the Philippines on Instagram and TikTok, along with stacks of £10 and £20 banknotes. Her impromptu disappearance raised an alarm with her family, who had reported her missing when she failed to receive a scheduled call on May 3.
Her dad, Niel Culley, is said to be heading to Georgia, while her aunt, Kerrie, only found about the arrest while en route at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.
Frank Cook’s Troubling Past Catches Up
Frank Cook, who served in Parliament from 1983 until 2010, was at the center of a storm in 2009 when he became involved in the UK parliamentary expenses scandal. Cook was attacked for trying to claim £5 for an aide having made a donation on his behalf at a Battle of Britain memorial. Cook publicly apologized for the claim and subsequently sued The Sunday Telegraph for libel, but the action was unsuccessful.
While Bella Culley waits for further judicial proceedings, her arrest remains newsworthy because of her prominent political heritage and online presence.
