Scissor Sister Charlotte Mulhall out on supervised day trips as she prepares for release

These periods of day release began late last year and are ongoing, according to sources. It is understood there is no date set for Mulhall’s permanent release but if she “continues to behave herself” it is expected she could be released early next year.

Mulhall, who received a life sentence in 2006 for the gruesome murder of her mother’s partner Farah Swaleh Noor, was imprisoned at the Dóchas Centre in Dublin but was transferred to Limerick in December 2018.

The mother-of-one was initially not happy with her move to Limerick, with the transfer being ordered due to her alleged “liaisons” behind bars. However, she is understood to have settled in well at Limerick Prison.

A prison source said Mulhall’s recent periods of day release under prison supervision are “indicative” of the path she is now on towards eventual, permanent release under licence.

“She is one of the most high-profile prisoners in the system. When she is permanently released it will be a lot for her to deal with,” said the source.

“There will be huge public and media interest. Like all prisoners released, including life sentence inmates, we want them to try and reintegrate into society and not return to jail. The purpose of jail is not just to punish, it is to rehabilitate.” ​

​A spokesman for the Irish Prison Service declined to comment on an individual case.

The 38-year-old Mulhall has served 17 years so far for murder; the average “lifer” in Ireland spends between 18 and 19 years in prison.

She would be subject to certain provisions under temporary release, including signing on and notifying the authorities about where she lives.

If she failed to do this, or came to garda attention for other criminality, she would be returned to jail.