Nicola Sturgeon States She Feels Like Serving Sentence for Peter Murrell's SNP Embezzlement

Nicola Sturgeon, former First Minister of Scotland, has expressed profound distress, stating she feels as though she is "serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit." This sentiment follows the admission by her estranged husband, Peter Murrell, that he embezzled £400,000 from the Scottish National Party (SNP), which Sturgeon led for years.

Sturgeon Denies Responsibility for Murrell's Crimes

In an interview, Sturgeon emphatically denied responsibility for Murrell's criminal actions, committed between 2010 and 2022. She told interviewers, "I am not responsible for the crimes that my former husband committed and I'm not going to apologise for somebody else's crimes." Sturgeon was not charged after a police investigation, despite her role as SNP party leader from 2014 to 2023, during which she shared responsibility for overseeing party finances.

Sturgeon reiterated her position, stating, "He perpetrated a crime on the SNP. By definition, that included me as the party leader. He misled. He deceived." She contrasted Murrell's impending sentence with her own emotional burden, saying, "He is serving and will be serving a sentence for a crime he committed. I'm out here feeling as if I'm serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit." These remarks echo earlier comments where she described being "deceived, betrayed and lied to" by her husband.

Luxury Gifts Purchased with Stolen Funds

Murrell, the SNP's former chief executive, misused party funds to acquire various items, including luxury goods, jewellery, cosmetics, two cars, and a motorhome. Sturgeon became visibly emotional when discussing a necklace, valued at over £400, which Murrell had gifted her and which she frequently wore. She recounted believing it to be a genuine gift, only to discover it was purchased with party money. "To then find out that these were gifts given to me that he'd bought with the party's money causes a level of, I don't know, pain, bewilderment... I'm not sure I will ever properly come to terms with that," she stated.

Murrell resigned as SNP chief executive in March 2023 amid controversy regarding membership figures. He was arrested less than three weeks later, followed by Sturgeon's arrest two months after, though she was released without charge. Following his guilty plea at the High Court in Edinburgh, Murrell was remanded in custody and is scheduled for sentencing on 23 June.