An English man who brutally murdered his Irish ex-girlfriend in 2009 by stabbing her more than 50 times has been released from prison after spending just 11 years in jail, according to media reports. 

Alan Daulby, from Bootle in Liverpool, relentlessly stalked his former partner Avril Flanagan, 20, for two weeks after she broke up with him and brutally murdered her in his Costa Blanca flat in the south of Spain in 2009. 

The jealous stalker stabbed Flanagan more than 50 times, torturing her "for pleasure", according to the Liverpool Echo. 

Daulby reportedly used a mop and bleach to clean Flanagan's blood from the floor before showering and attempting to stuff her body into a suitcase. 

When that proved impossible, he wrapped the young Irishwoman in a duvet and plastic sheeting and placed her body underneath his couch, where it was later discovered by Flanagan's mother Barbara. 

Daulby was arrested hours later, more than 200km away from the scene of the crime, and he was eventually sentenced to a 19-year prison term by a Spanish court in July 2012. 

Barbaric killer who stabbed his Irish ex-girlfriend Avril Flanagan 50 times in Spain is freed https://t.co/rZKyQegwRp

— Eamon Dillon (@EamoD) November 3, 2020

Spanish judge Gracia Serrano noted that a number of the stab wounds were inflicted to torture his victim over a horrific seven minutes. 

"The number of stab wounds Avril received was very high," Serrano said at the time. 

"The majority of them weren't either fatal or necessary for Alan Daulby to fulfil his intention of killing Avril.

"He did not therefore just commit an evil crime.

"He also committed other equally intentioned wrongdoing by taking pleasure in causing Avril additional suffering."

The Englishman was repatriated to an English jail in 2014 but has now been released just 11 years into his 19-year sentence. 

The convicted murderer was released on Wednesday, November 4 and will be subject to monitoring conditions set by the Probation Service. 

A British Ministry of Justice spokesperson said that the conditions of his parole will be strict and that he can be re-incarcerated instantly if he breaches them. 

"This was a horrific crime and our thoughts remain with Ms. Flanagan’s family and friends.

"Alan Daulby is subject to strict licence conditions and can be returned to custody if he breaches them."