Widow of gunman from Pulse nightclub attack freed on bail ahead of trial

The widow of the Isis-inspired fanatic who massacred 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida is to be freed from jail ahead of her forthcoming trial.

Salman was arrested on 16 January 2017 and is accused of helping husband Omar Mateen prepare to carry out the attack on 12 June 2016.

It is alleged Salman drove her husband to the nightclub at least once, as part of efforts to "scout" possible targets and was with him when he bought ammunition the night before the attack.

It is further claimed that during the massacre, Mateen texted his wife to ask: "Do you see what's happening?," to which Salman replied "No".

She denies knowing anything about the plan and claims to have been suffering as a victim of domestic violence under her husband.

However, BBC reports suggest the couple ran up huge credit card debts in the days before the attack — in which Mateen was shot dead — and Salman was made beneficiary of Mateen's account.

Freeing Salman, 31, on $500,000 (£400,000) bail, magistrate Judge Donna Ryu said the accused did not pose a flight risk and held no credible link to Isis but must remain in jail for a further two days pending an appeal.

Her defence team said she wishes to go home and be with her son.

Salman must live with her uncle in California and wear an ankle tag at all times under the provisions. Her mother and brother put up their houses to guarantee she would not flee, Fox News reported.

However, prosecutors are disappointed with the decision to grant bail, as are some of the survivors of the deadly attack.

"You've got people who are behind bars for selling marijuana but she might be allowed free, how does that make any sense?" survivor Chris Hansen told the Orlando Sentinel.

"This whole situation is heartbreaking. It's going to make it hard to sleep at night - again."