Peter Murrell purchased a £4,795 luxury watch using Scottish National Party funds the day after the party suffered significant losses in the 2017 general election, according to court documents obtained by the Sunday Mail. The former chief executive and estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon has admitted to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party over a period exceeding a decade.
Hours after the SNP lost a third of its Westminster seats in 2017, including Alex Salmond's Gordon constituency, Murrell bought a black Bremont ALT1 World Timer watch for £4,795. The purchase was one of many extravagant items acquired with party money.
Court documents also reveal that Murrell engaged in a spending spree in March 2018, the same month the Scottish Government initiated an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against former first minister Alex Salmond. During that month, he spent £3,774 on a high-end Leica Q camera and another £466 on photography equipment. Additionally, he purchased nearly £500 worth of Le Creuset cookware, £206 on mugs from the same brand, and £500 on a Dyson vacuum cleaner.
Two days after news broke on August 25, 2018, that Salmond was under investigation, Murrell bought a luxury purse for £136 and a gentleman's knife with an ebony handle for £406. The probe into Salmond's conduct was later deemed unlawful and biased, and Salmond was cleared of any wrongdoing in a criminal court. Salmond died in 2024 in North Macedonia.
Last week, it was reported that Murrell embezzled an average of more than £90 per day of SNP funds for 12 years. His purchases included a £124,550 motorhome, a Jaguar I-PACE worth £57,000, and a direct transfer of £16,498 from the party account toward a £33,000 Volkswagen Golf in 2016. He also spent on home comforts and a bookcase that was prominently displayed during Sturgeon's COVID-19 briefings.
An allegation regarding a white Bremont ALT1 World Timer watch bought in May 2017 for £4,555 was removed from the indictment, but the black Bremont ALT1 World Timer costing £4,795 remained on the list.
Murrell's spending peaked in 2020, the year Salmond was acquitted of 13 sexual offense charges in March. That month alone, Murrell spent £2,777.95 on five separate days. In the run-up to Salmond's trial, on March 2, he spent £418.50 on items including an ice cream scoop, spoons, and a cake stand. A week later, he spent £308.99 on tools and £94.75 on Radford sugar tongs and a Scribe gift set. Between March 11 and 14, he spent £1,955.82 on purchases including a cordless Dyson vacuum cleaner from Argos, lamps costing £1,149.88, and another Dyson vacuum cleaner from John Lewis for over £400.
Originally accused of stealing £459,046 in party cash, Murrell pleaded guilty to embezzling £400,310.65. Following his guilty plea, he was remanded in custody and is expected to receive a significant jail sentence when he returns to the High Court next month.
Former SNP minister Alex Neil criticized Murrell, stating, "From the dates of some of his purchases, Murrell appears to have been celebrating each setback and what he perceived to be Alex Salmond's downfall. That might well have been part of his motivation, but he also probably thought he was going to get away with it. He thought nobody would notice because of what he did to hide it and the fact that clearly even while people were concerned about the finances, nobody at that stage even suspected embezzlement. So he didn't have anything to fear. He basically had a free-for-all to himself."
Neil added, "The joint income between him and his wife was not far short of a quarter of a million pounds, and they had no children. They had Bute House as well as their own house, and she had a chauffeur-driven car. What more did he want? It looks like he went on a spending spree every time Alex Salmond had a setback." Neil demanded an explanation, questioning whether it was greed, a celebration of Salmond's downfall, jealousy, or an attempt to embarrass the party. He also called for an apology to those affected and for an independent investigation.
Scottish Tory Leader Russell Findlay MSP said, "You couldn't mark Peter Murrell's neck with a blow torch. Even at some of the lowest points for his party, he was stealing ordinary members' cash to bankroll his and Nicola Sturgeon's lavish lifestyle. Increasing numbers of SNP members surely understand that a parliamentary inquiry is essential."
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie commented, "It is clear Peter Murrell was a prolific spender, yet no one in the SNP thought to inquire as to where the cash was going or had the slightest interest in looking at the books. Murrell used donations to fund an extravagant lifestyle for himself and Nicola Sturgeon. There will be many people across the country who think it stretches credulity that his lavish spending did not raise any eyebrows. Scottish Labour believes there should be an inquiry into these issues."
