Peter Murrell jailed for more than five years for embezzling SNP funds

ByAngus Cochrane

Senior political journalist, BBC Scotland

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has been sentenced to five years and three months in jail after he admitted to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party.

Murrell - the estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon - used the funds to buy goods ranging from cars and a motorhome to kitchenware and toiletries.

The 61-year-old's sentence was backdated to 25 May, when he was remanded in custody after pleading guilty.

He did not react as his sentence was delivered, staring straight ahead before being led away in handcuffs.

Judge Lord Young said Murrell had carried out a "calculated crime of dishonesty" but told the court he had been unable to identify a clear motive.

Sturgeon has denied any knowledge of his wrongdoing, saying she was "deceived".

At a court hearing on 25 May, Murrell admitted embezzling £400,310.65 from the SNP between 2010 and 2022.

Police Scotland began investigating the party's finances in 2021 after questions were asked about what had happened to £667,000 raised for a second independence referendum campaign.

Officers initially looking into those concerns ultimately uncovered Murrell's embezzlement.

They found Murrell had used charge cards, bank transfers and fake invoices to illicitly purchase items including jewellery, cosmetics, stationery, and games consoles.

At the sentencing hearing, Murrell's lawyer John Scullion KC recognised that the only "appropriate" punishment was imprisonment.

He said his client had "behaved dishonestly" and went to considerable lengths to conceal his crimes and avoid detection.

Scullion told the court that Murrell accepted full responsibility for his actions, had expressed guilt and remorse and recognised the "psychological and financial harm" he had done to the SNP and others.

He described his client as "overwhelmed by feelings of embarrassment and shame" and said that following his arrest he lived "in almost total isolation" for months "at times to the detriment of his health".

The lawyer said Murrell had been publicly humiliated and faced a "bleak and solitary" future.

Judge Lord Young said Murrell had carried out a "calculated crime of dishonesty".

He told the court it was "very difficult to get a clear picture" of what motivated the former SNP chief executive, noting that many of the high-value items were not even used.

Lord Young said: "I cannot identify any factors which caused you to offend, which might be considered to be mitigatory factors."

He described Murrell's future employment prospects as "difficult if not impossible" and accepted that the former SNP chief executive was remorseful and presented a minimal risk of re-offending.

The judge said the sentence would have been seven years if Murrell had not pleaded guilty, and noted that the punishment was intended as a deterrent to senior leaders of large organisations who may be tempted to act in a similar way.

The former SNP chief executive will be eligible for parole after he has served half of his sentence - a little over two years and seven months.

He could also be freed earlier under a home detention curfew, with a tag and controls over his movements.

Murrell was first arrested in April 2023, a few weeks after resigning due to a row about membership figures.

The Glasgow home he shared with Sturgeon was searched as part of the police operation, as was the SNP headquarters in Edinburgh.

Murrell's largest single purchase, in 2020, was a £124,550 luxury motorhome, paid for entirely with party funds.

When it was seized by police three years later, it had only ever been driven four miles.

Murrell used party funds to buy further items including a £3,223 coffee machine, a £3,000 robotic lawn mower, £2,600 salt and pepper grinders and a £425 gold pendant that Sturgeon was photographed wearing.

The illicit purchases also included games consoles, a £100 chopstick set, £100 men's loafers and £2.50 hand cream.

It is understood that the purchase of Le Creuset products - including mugs, ramekins, a wine carafe and bottle stopper - were what first tipped off officers about the possibility of embezzlement.

At a time when the party's finances were lower than normal, the luxury cookware products stood out. Officers then discovered the items had been mis-coded in the party's accounts.

Sturgeon has said she was not aware that Murrell had purchased many of the high-value items listed in court documents.

The former first minister added that she had no reason to believe that Murrell had not used his own money for any items he bought for her.

Sturgeon - who had stepped down as first minister in March 2023 - was arrested In June 2023 but was later told that she was no longer under investigation.

The former first minister announced last year that the pair were ending their marriage.

Responding to Murrell's sentencing, her lawyer Aamer Anwar said his client "remains angry, hurt and distressed" by Murrell's crimes.

He said Sturgeon was "utterly deceived and let down by her husband whom she had trusted" and that his actions were "beyond her comprehension".

Anwar reiterated that the ex-SNP leader was not charged after a "robust" police investigation.

First Minister John Swinney, who appointed Murrell in 2001 during his first spell as SNP leader, has apologised to party members.

However, he has denied any attempts to shut down concerns about party finances.

The SNP leader said he was "horrified" by Murrell's conduct, describing it as an "overwhelming betrayal".

He has repeatedly rejected calls for an inquiry into the case, saying it would not provide more answers than the four-year police investigation.

Murrell's lawyer confirmed his client's intention to pay back the sum embezzled, with a proceeds of crime hearing scheduled for 14 September.

The exact amount prosecutors are seeking is yet to be made public and will be adjusted for inflation. Those funds would be handed back to the state, which spent millions on the police investigation.

Separately, the SNP is hoping to recover £400,000 from Murrell through a compensation order.