A comedian is possibly facing time behind bars after she was caught shoplifting in Turkey.
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In a series of Instagram Story posts, British comic Cerys Nelmes shared she was arrested and detained in Turkey in late July after she walked out of a Zara store without paying for some items.
Although she returned the items “straight away” and offered to pay for them, she may end up with a three-year prison sentence.
Speaking about her detainment after the shoplifting incident, the comedian said she was not given access to food or toilet facilities at a Turkish police station.
She further claimed that when she asked for water, police officers alleged they didn’t understand what she was saying.
“I was handcuffed and taken for fingerprints and mugshots at 3 a.m.,” she shared, per Gloucestershire Live. “I was handcuffed and taken to court the following day and put in a cell.”
While appearing before a judge, Nelmes said a translator told her that she was released from police custody. However, she was unable to leave Turkey for an “underdetermined” amount of time.
“He said I was lucky to not be put in prison,” she pointed out. “But I currently face up to three years. I have to report to a local police station every Monday.”
The Comedian Has Been Living With Friends Amid Shoplifting Legal Woes
Meanwhile, the comedian said she is “lucky” to have good friends in Turkey, who are currently looking after her amid the shoplifting situation.
Nelmes said they are also helping her with translating paperwork for the case. “I have no money,” she explained. “No earnings coming in from home, and I am running out of important medication. I will lose the home which I share with my son, and livelihood.”
The comedian pointed out that she was not looking for sympathy and acknowledged she made a mistake, which she tried to rectify.
“I am embarrassed for my friends, my family, and I have made my 79-year-old mum unwell,” she noted. “I will never forgive myself for what I have done.”
She went on to add, “I believe I did it for mental health medical problems, but ultimately, there is no excuse.”
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office confirmed the situation. “We are providing assistance to a British national in Turkey.”