Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell showed no reaction as he was sentenced to five years and three months in prison at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday morning, after he admitted embezzling more than £400,000 from the party. The 61-year-old, who is Nicola Sturgeon's former husband, pleaded guilty to embezzling £400,310.65 at the same court on May 25.
Packed Courtroom for Sentencing
The case has gripped the nation's attention, with both the May 25 hearing and a further narrative hearing on June 2 attended by large numbers of journalists, court staff, and members of the public. Tuesday's sentencing saw the foyer outside courtroom three packed with people hoping to find a seat in the public gallery. Once the case had called and onlookers had taken their seats, Murrell entered court via a side door that led directly to the dock.
Murrell had arrived at the court building earlier that morning in the back of a prison van. He was dressed in a dark blue suit and flanked by security officers, one of whom was handcuffed to him. Once he reached his seat in the centre of the court, directly in front of the packed public gallery, the handcuffs were unlocked and the trio sat down.
Proceedings Begin
The onlookers in the large courtroom, who watched proceedings through a plastic screen, included a large number of journalists, police officers, court staff, and members of the public. Two television cameras had been set up on the floor to broadcast the proceedings live. The court was ordered to stand as judge Lord Young entered from a side door at the front, dressed in his wig and red and white robes.
The spectators and officials sat as he took his seat, with only Murrell and his security officers left standing as the clerk announced the start of proceedings. After regaining his seat, Murrell looked straight ahead with his arms down by his sides as prosecutor Alan Cameron KC proposed a timetable for proceedings to recover the embezzled funds.
Defence Mitigation
Murrell continued to look on impassively as his lawyer John Scullion KC began mitigating on his behalf, focusing on the personal toll the proceedings had taken. Scullion said Murrell was “overwhelmed by shame” at what he had done, and that he had been “ostracised” and had “lived in almost total isolation” for many months since his offending came to light. He also said revelations about “the nature of many of his purchases” – which included a campervan and numerous luxury homewares – had made him a “figure of public ridicule”.
Judge's Remarks
After a brief silence, Lord Young ordered Murrell to stand up, which he did quickly, and began his sentencing remarks. Murrell remained staring fixedly ahead throughout, barely moving as the judge laid out the scale and scope of his offending. “Your actions involved a significant breach of trust to the organisation, which you led, and to the individual members and donors of that organisation,” the judge told him. “Because of your position of authority, you were able to circumvent the checks and balances that existed.”
He showed no reaction as the judge sentenced him to five years and three months in prison, before the judge closed his remarks with the words “that is all”. The court was ordered to rise again as the judge stood up, at which point Murrell was re-handcuffed to the officer and led back out of court to return to prison.
Audio Issues Resolved
There had been issues with sound levels in court during Murrell's last two appearances – once on May 25 when he pleaded guilty, and then on June 2 for a narrative hearing. This had left those in the public gallery leaning forward and straining to hear. However, those in attendance on Tuesday were relieved to find the issue had been resolved, and the proceedings were clearly audible.
