The 31-year-old, twice the WBO featherweight champion, served four months in Barlinnie prison in Glasgow, having pleaded guilty earlier this year to assaulting his girlfriend and a police officer.

He was imprisoned on Sept 2 for a total of 10 months, but had his sentence cut to eight months earlier in December and was let out having served half his sentence.

'He will be delighted that he is out before the end of the year so he can start rebuilding his life in 2009,' the boxer's lawyer Massimo Franchi said.

'He will want to start afresh and he has got the support of his family there.'

Harrison, nicknamed The Real McCoy, has won 25 of his 29 professional fights, including 14 by knock-out.

However, he has not fought for three years and his licence has since been revoked by the British Boxing Board of Control. -- AFP