A Northern Irish woman jailed in Peru for smuggling cocaine converted to Christianity in prison and is now living with a Peruvian priest for the duration of her parole.

Michaella McCollum Connolly, 23, was jailed alongside Melissa Reid in 2013 when police found £1.5 million of cocaine in their handluggage.

They were charged with attempting to smuggle the cocaine from Peru to Spain.

Having served more than two years in Peruvian prison, McCollum Connolly has been released and is now living with Fr Sean Walsh, a Peruvian Priest, and his wife in Lima.

"Michaella did her time with dignity, took her lumps and now she's ready to start life fresh," Fr Walsh said, according to CBN.

"Michaella is an intelligent and gifted young lady, she just did something dumb, now she can get on with the rest of her life.

"I'm not sure she was a staunch Catholic before I met her, but I really think she did come to the Lord, at least in her conversations with me, she indicated that," he added.

Michaella will carry out administrative tasks for Walsh, as well as helping with other church ministries.

Following her release, McCollum told Irish state broadcaster RTE she had been "very naive, so young and very insecure".

"A lot of times I didn't know how to say no to somebody," she said.

"I kind of just followed along with it and I guess a part of me kind of wanted to be something I'm not.

"But, simply, I made a decision in my moment of madness."

As part of her parole, McCollum will spend the next 50 months in Peru.

A judge has granted an order expelling Melissa Reid from the country on Monday. She is likely to be deported to Scotland later this week.