27 February 2017 05:35 pm
Doctor Chamari Liyanage has been serving a four-year prison term after she was convicted of the manslaughter of her husband and fellow doctor Dinendra Athukorala.
Liyanage bludgeoned Dr. Athukorala with a mallet while he slept at their Geraldton home in June 2014.
During Liyanage's trial, the court heard the couple's five-year marriage was defined by the "worst kind" of escalating sexual, physical and emotional abuse.
The court heard Athukorala kept 13 terabytes of encrypted child exploitation and bestiality images.
Liyanage was acquitted of the more serious charge of murder.
Her legal counsel, George Giudice, confirmed her application for parole was approved by the Prisoners' Review Board.
"My client Dr. Liyanage tells me her parole was approved today so she's eligible for release into the community," he said.
"She'll be able to be released in the next couple of days in Geraldton. She's relieved and very happy.Of course, she was eligible for release back in July but she decided not to take that up, because there was a threat that she'd be sent to a detention centre,” he said.
"But that problem's now overcome, she's permitted to stay in Australia pursuant to the visa and she's very happy about that, she's elated actually."
Liyanage had been eligible to apply for parole since June, but there were fears that if it was granted, she could face deportation as her visa was cancelled while behind bars.
Last month however, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection revoked the cancellation of her visa after considering her case.
Liyanage has also appealed against her conviction and sentence, which the Supreme Court is still deliberating.
"It doesn't mean anything at the moment, but if she's successful in her appeal, her parole order will automatically just terminate," Mr. Giudice said.
Liyanage has been in custody since June 2014, and her sentence is due to be completed in June of next year.