Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of Scotland's governing Scottish National Party (SNP), has been jailed for five years and three months after admitting to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party over a 13-year period
Murrell, 61, who is the estranged husband of former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, pleaded guilty to embezzling £400,310 between 2010 and 2023. The money was used to purchase vehicles, a luxury motorhome and high-end goods from retailers including Harrods and Estee Lauder.
The sentence was handed down at Edinburgh High Court on Tuesday, bringing a major chapter in a long-running investigation into the finances of Scotland's dominant pro-independence party.
Sentencing Murrell, Judge Andrew Young described the offences as a serious abuse of trust.
"Your actions involved a significant breach of trust to the organisation which you led, and to the individual members and donors," he told the court.
The judge said the crimes had been carefully planned and stressed that the punishment should serve as a warning to senior officials in other organisations.
"This was a calculated crime of dishonesty," Young said. "One factor in the sentence which I impose today will be to act as a deterrent to any senior officials in other large organisations who might be tempted to abuse their position in the way you did."
According to court proceedings, Murrell used party funds for personal spending over more than a decade.
Among the purchases was a motorhome valued at £124,550, as well as several vehicles and luxury consumer goods.
Authorities are expected to begin legal proceedings under proceeds of crime legislation to recover the embezzled funds.
The case stems from a high-profile police investigation into the SNP's finances, which prompted significant political fallout for the party.
The probe led to the arrest of Nicola Sturgeon in 2023, shortly after her surprise resignation as SNP leader. Sturgeon, who remains the longest-serving leader in the party's history, was cleared of any wrongdoing in March last year.
The investigation raised difficult questions for the SNP, which has dominated Scottish politics for nearly two decades and led successive campaigns for Scottish independence.
Following Murrell's guilty plea, Sturgeon again denied any involvement or knowledge of the misuse of party funds.
She said she had "no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that he was using SNP funds for personal purposes".
Sturgeon also rejected criticism over the motorhome purchase, saying she had not noticed the vehicle parked outside her mother-in-law's home during visits.
Her lawyer reiterated her position following Murrell's sentencing.
"Ms Sturgeon is innocent of any crime and whilst that might be a source of annoyance for some, it remains a fact that it was Mr Murrell who was charged, tried, convicted and imprisoned for his crimes today," the lawyer said.
Murrell's conviction represents another setback for the SNP as it seeks to rebuild public trust following years of internal turmoil and declining electoral fortunes.
While the criminal proceedings against Murrell have now concluded, the party continues to face scrutiny over governance and financial oversight, with the fallout from the case likely to remain a sensitive issue in Scottish politics for some time.
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