British comedian Cerys Nelmes could be facing up to three years in Turkish prison after leaving a Zara store without paying for her items – even though she went back as soon as she realised her mistake.
Nelmes claims that she was shopping at a Zara location in Istanbul on July 22 when she accidentally left the store without paying for her purchases.
Although she went to the store to give back the items and offered to pay at that point, Nelmes was then detained, locked in a room for several hours, and ultimately arrested for shoplifting.
She was then transferred to a police station and pressured to sign Turkish documents that she didn’t understand.
The comedian ended up being held for a full 24 hours, without access to food, water, or a toilet.
After that prison stay, Nelmes was taken before a judge, who released her but told her she couldn’t leave Turkey.
If the case proceeds, she could face up to three years in prison for shoplifting. Even now, Nelmes finds herself unable to afford accommodation in Turkey and losing work back in the UK, which puts the home for her and her son at risk.
The comedian has taken to Instagram Stories, in posts shared by the Daily Mail, to share her problems, writing: “I'm ok and have been taken in by a Turkish family who gave me food and a bed.
In a separate post to social media, she continued: “I am lucky I have good friends in Turkey who are currently looking after me, and trying to translate the paperwork.
“I have no money, no earnings coming in from home, and I am running out of important medication. I will lose my home which I share with my son, and livelihood.
“I am not looking for sympathy. I made a mistake which I tried to immediately rectify. I am embarrassed for my friends, my family, and I have made my 78-year-old mum unwell. I will never forgive myself for what I have done.”
Nelmes regularly gigs for the UK military, and is known for being the last comedian to perform for UK troops before they withdrew from Afghanistan.
She also has a background in acting, with roles in Casualty and JK Rowling's The Casual Vacancy.
According to the Daily Mail, a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said: “We are providing support to a British national in Turkey.”
The Standard has reached out to Zara and the British Consulate in Turkey for comment.
