Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and estranged husband of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party’s coffers. The High Court in Edinburgh heard details of a 12-year scheme, spanning from August 2010 to October 2022, during which Murrell diverted £400,310.65 for personal use, funding a lifestyle described as lavish.
The extensive list of purchases, detailed in a 119-page indictment, reveals a stark contrast between party donations and Murrell’s personal indulgences. Among the most significant expenditures was a £124,550 Niesmann+Bischoff motorhome, which was controversially parked at his mother’s residence. He also used party funds to partly finance two vehicles: an £81,000 Jaguar I-Pace SUV, for which £57,500 of SNP money was used before he sold it and pocketed £47,378, and a £32,989 Volkswagen Golf, towards which £16,489 of party funds were directed.
Beyond vehicles, Murrell’s spending habits extended to an array of luxury goods and household items. These included two high-end Bremont watches totalling £9,350 and several Montblanc fountain pens, notably a ‘The Beatles’ special edition and rollerball set valued at £1,475.
A premium Jura Giga 5 Cromo coffee machine, costing nearly £3,232, and a Celestron 10169 NexStar 8SE computerised telescope priced at £1,199 were also among the acquisitions.
Other items ranged from designer manicure sets and a designer egg poacher, to less extravagant purchases like a Joseph Joseph bread bin and two toilet seats.
Prosecutors outlined that Murrell’s embezzlement involved submitting false invoices, illicitly using party credit cards, falsifying the SNP’s accounts, and in some instances, falsely claiming personal purchases as legitimate party expenses. He reportedly even used credit cards issued in the names of SNP staff members under his employ.
The investigation, codenamed Operation Branchform by Police Scotland, was described as “lengthy and extremely complex” due to the scale of the criminality and Murrell’s efforts to conceal his actions over a protracted period, ultimately costing public funds an estimated £2 million.
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston stated that Murrell had shown “utter contempt for the high public trust placed in him” and “abused his privileged position with access to Scottish National Party funds to divert cash into his own accounts and bankroll the lavish lifestyle he craved but could not afford.”
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Current SNP leader John Swinney expressed profound disappointment, stating: “By embezzling from the SNP, Peter Murrell was stealing the hopes, the dreams and the aspirations of thousands of people all over Scotland.” He added, “I am horrified, I am betrayed.”
Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who was married to Murrell during the period of embezzlement but has since announced their separation, issued a statement asserting her complete ignorance of his actions. “I am utterly appalled that he did so and cannot begin to understand why. These are not my crimes. I was misled just as others were.”
Murrell, who served as the SNP’s chief executive for 22 years until his resignation in 2023, has been remanded in custody. He is scheduled for sentencing on 23 June, facing a potentially significant prison term for what Lord Young, the judge, termed a “gross breach of trust.”
