Nicola Sturgeon’s estranged husband Peter Murrell remanded in custody after admitting £400,000 SNP embezzlement
Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has been remanded in custody after admitting embezzling more than £400,000 from the party over a 12 year period.
Murrell appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh this morning (Monday) where he pleaded guilty to stealing £400,310.65 from SNP funds between August 2010 and October 2022.
The 60 year old, who led the SNP organisation for more than two decades, will be sentenced next month.
The court heard that party money was used to fund a range of personal purchases, including vehicles, luxury items and online shopping.
Among the purchases outlined by prosecutors was a £124,550 motorhome, along with a Jaguar I-PACE and a Volkswagen Golf, partly paid for using SNP funds.
Murrell also admitted submitting false expense claims and using inaccurate accounting descriptions to conceal spending.
Judge Lord Young described the offences as a serious breach of trust by a senior figure within the party.
Murrell was arrested in April 2023 during the long running investigation into SNP finances and was formally charged the following year.
The case has again placed attention on former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, who separated from Murrell earlier this year after more than a decade of marriage.
In a statement released after the hearing, Sturgeon said she was “angry, hurt, sad and very distressed” following the guilty plea.
She said she had no knowledge that SNP funds were being used for personal purposes and insisted she had been “misled” by her former husband. Police have previously confirmed she is no longer under investigation.
Speaking after the hearing, Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston of Police Scotland said Murrell had abused a position of trust within the SNP over many years.
Police also confirmed that no other individuals will face charges in connection with the investigation.
