Former Scottish National Party chief executive Peter Murrell treated himself to more than 300 pounds worth of household goods on his birthday using stolen party funds, according to court documents. The disgraced political figure also faced allegations of using embezzled cash to buy a Kindle on his birthday, but that charge was dropped as part of a plea deal.
Birthday Spending Spree
The indictment reveals that on December 8, 2015, approximately a year after his wife Nicola Sturgeon became First Minister, Murrell purchased 255 pounds worth of TreeWool bath sheets. In 2021, he spent 45.45 pounds on a metal basket rolling cart. Additionally, he withdrew 112,050 pounds from an SNP bank account the day before his birthday in 2020 to help pay for a motorhome.
Plea Deal Reductions
A plea agreement between the Crown Office and Murrell's legal team resulted in 58,735 pounds of low-value items being removed from the case. These included a 169-pound Kindle, wooden hangers worth 16.99 pounds, and tealight holders costing 211.60 pounds, all purchased on his birthdays in 2012, 2016, and 2018.
The original indictment also accused Murrell of spending 37.20 pounds on a Mira shower head on November 18, 2019, the same day as his father Henry's funeral. That charge was dropped under the plea deal.
Political Reactions
Scottish Labour Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie called for a full inquiry, stating that Murrell's birthday spending raises questions about how his theft went undetected for so long. Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay said the revelations suggest Murrell was allowed to remove embarrassing purchases from his charge sheet as part of the secretive plea deal process.
Upcoming Sentencing
Murrell is expected to return to court next week for sentencing after pleading guilty to embezzling more than 400,000 pounds of SNP funds over 12 years. The stolen money was used for two cars, a motorhome, and various luxury and everyday items. Court documents show he falsified accounting records and created fake invoices to cover his crimes.
Purchases included a Volkswagen Golf, later traded for a Jaguar I-Pace worth over 81,000 pounds, a space telescope, DVDs, a home library ladder worth over 900 pounds, and a coffee machine costing nearly 3,232 pounds. A robotic lawnmower was misdescribed as legal fees, and a silver wine coaster worth 3,500 pounds was listed as leadership expenses. Over 10 years, he spent nearly 2,000 pounds on video gaming items.
Nicola Sturgeon has denied knowledge of Murrell's activities. The SNP is in talks with HMRC over potential tax implications of Murrell's criminal purchases.
