Kim Galbraith had been jailed for the murder of her husband Ian in Furnace, Argyll and Bute, in 1999.

However, that conviction was changed to culpable homicide and the sentence reduced to 10 years on appeal.

Kim Galbraith said she had been abused

Galbraith had maintained at her trial that she should have been convicted of the lesser charge of culpable homicide because of the mental and sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband.

The jail term was further reduced to eight years by appeal judges last year, making Galbraith eligible for parole at the start of 2003 when she had served half of the new sentence.

The Parole Board for Scotland said Galbraith was granted parole within the past seven days.

It is understood she is now no longer in custody. She had been held at Cornton Vale Prison, near Stirling.

The trial heard how Galbraith stole her husband's loaded rifle and shot him in the head from close range while he was sleeping.

Galbraith initially alleged that two masked men had broken into her family home, shot her husband, raped her and set fire to the house.