Peter Murrell Embezzled £400,000 from SNP, Bought Motorhome and Luxury Goods

Peter Murrell, formerly the chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon, has admitted to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party. His methods included using charge cards, direct bank transfers, and falsified invoices to acquire luxury items such as two cars, jewellery, cosmetics, and a motorhome.

Murrell, 61, served over two decades in the chief executive role. He is currently held at HMP Edinburgh and is scheduled for sentencing on 23 June. Court proceedings detailed his systematic misuse of party finances, largely derived from membership fees, donations, and legacies.

Details of Embezzlement

The court heard that Murrell accessed the SNP's accounting system directly, logging purchases and directing staff. He used his own SNP charge card, alongside those of two other employees, for personal transactions. Notable acquisitions include a Niesmann and Bischoff motorhome, costing £124,550, ordered in October 2020. Murrell paid a £12,500 deposit via an SNP charge card, completing the remaining £112,050 with four direct transfers from the party's account in December 2020. This vehicle, found at his mother's Dunfermline residence, had only been driven four miles when seized by police two years later. Murrell created a bogus invoice, altering the customer address and account name, and misrepresented the vehicle as a 'van' with removed security and navigation systems.

In 2016, Murrell transferred £16,498 from the SNP account to purchase a £33,000 Volkswagen Golf. This vehicle was traded in during September 2019 for an £81,000 Jaguar I-PACE, with the outstanding balance covered by fraudulent expense claims and false invoices. Other items seized included a custom wooden library, a robotic lawnmower, and various bathroom and kitchen units from the Glasgow home he shared with Sturgeon.

Aftermath and Denials

Murrell was initially arrested in April 2023, following his resignation from the SNP over a dispute regarding membership figures. His and Sturgeon's home, alongside SNP headquarters, were subsequently searched. Nicola Sturgeon has consistently denied any awareness of Murrell's criminal activities or any attempt to conceal wrongdoing. She stated she had no 'conscious memory' of seeing the motorhome, despite visiting his mother's property where it was parked. Sturgeon was arrested as part of the investigation in June 2023 but was later informed she was no longer under investigation. The couple announced the end of their marriage last year.

First Minister John Swinney, who served as Sturgeon's deputy, expressed his devastation, describing Murrell's actions as a 'colossal breach of trust.' Swinney affirmed that financial controls within the party have since been strengthened, resisting calls for a parliamentary inquiry.