Russell Causley was handed a life sentence for killing his wife Carole Packman in 1985, and made legal history last year when he became the first prisoner to face a public hearing.

He was released from prison in 2020 but was sent back the following year after breaching his licence conditions.

Last month, the parole board ruled it was suitable for Causley to be released from prison again, with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirming that this had taken place.

An MoJ spokesperson said: "We know this will be an incredibly difficult time for Carole Packman's family, but Russell Causley will be under close supervision for the rest of his life and can be recalled from prison if he breaches the strict conditions of his release."

Ms Packman disappeared a year after Causley moved his lover into the family home in Bournemouth, Dorset.

'I don't think I'm a wicked person'

In the first public parole review in UK history, Causley, who was 79 at the time, admitted he had lied and "changed stories consistently" but denied murdering Ms Packman at the hearing in Lewes prison in East Sussex.

When asked if failing to tell the truth about the killing is "the coward's way out", Causley said: "I don't think I'm a wicked person ... I hate it when you say I'm a cold-blooded killer."

The parole panel chairman told the hearing there were reports Causley had confessed to fellow prisoners that he had gassed Ms Packman and put a bag over her head.

But he said: "None of those conversations took place, ever."

He insisted he "loved" his wife but also told how he "adored" his mistress Tricia.

The parole panel chairman told Causley at the time: "Your version of events has varied frequently over time.

"Your wife's body has never been found. The precise circumstances of the murder are not clear."