Emma Barrett granted parole over murder of David Harrison at Muswellbrook

A woman who used sex as a weapon – and was quietly referred to as The She-Devil by investigators – is set to be released on parole for the horrific murder of an ex-lover before his body was dumped in a shallow grave.

Emma Barrett, then aged 20, of West Gosford, was covered with a blanket as she was escorted from Maitland Local Court into a prison van after being charged with the murder of David Harrison whose body was found buried in a shallow grave in Greta, in the Hunter Valley.

A woman quietly dubbed The She-Devil by investigators after she used sex and lust to get another man to brutally murder her ex-lover before burying the body in a crude shallow grave is set to be released on parole after serving nearly 17 years in jail.

Emma Barrett, now aged 38, concocted a story that David Harrison had a “hit list” including herself and others when she meticulously planned out Harrison’s murder during a horrifically savage night at Muswellbrook in 2007.

She is expected to walk from jail within three weeks after being granted conditional release during a NSW State Parole Authority hearing on Thursday.

It came after Barrett was refused parole last year on the recommendation of the Serious Offenders Review Council that it was “not appropriate”.

The hearing on Thursday heard that review council now supported Barrett’s release and that her supervised parole would be “sufficient for the protection of the community and her reintegration”.

Emma Barrett.

David Harrison.

“The authority was advised Ms Barrett has taken responsibility for her offending and now completed all therapeutic programs available to her in custody; has attended counselling sessions to address her criminogenic needs and participated in works release with positive outcomes,” the authority said in a statement.

The state did not oppose her release.

Where David Harrison's body as buried at Greta.

Both Barrett and another lover, Dean Reginald Fordham, admitted murdering the young Victorian man after he had been lured to the Hunter Valley town with a suggestion he could rekindle his on-again-off-again relationship with Barrett.

Within hours of his arrival, Fordham had stabbed Harrison more than 30 times after tying him to a chair inside a shed at a residence at Muswellbrook.

But it was not until Barrett walked back to the shed after smoking cannabis with Fordham that she realised Harrison was still alive and the pair take turns to stab their victim until he succumbs to his injuries.

They then drove to Greta and bury him a shallow bush grave and work to cover their tracks, including Barrett calling Harrison’s phone 14 times and sending him 28 texts over five days after Harrison’s distraught family report him missing.

Emma Barrett after her arrest in 2007.

A court heard Barrett had discovered a page, which had been ripped out of a personal contact book, in an old pair of Harrison’s jeans and tells her drug addict and jealous lover Fordham it was a “hit list” belonging to Harrison, who had a habit of drunkenly boasting at parties that he was a hit man despite there being no evidence of it.

Fordham was sentenced to 14 years and eight months after receiving a significant discount for an early guilty plea and assisting authorities and was released on parole several years ago.

Barrett was sentenced to 22 years jail, with a minimum of 16 years.

That non-parole period ended last year but Barrett failed at her first attempt at being released.

Barrett, who will be released between July 18 and 15, has been ordered bot to use illicit drugs and not contact or communicate with Harrison’s family or Fordham.

Her parole period ends in 2029.