Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and estranged husband of ex-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, has pleaded guilty to embezzling approximately £400,000 from the party. The funds were used to finance an extraordinary array of lavish purchases, ranging from a £3,200 coffee machine to designer umbrellas and even a copy of Sturgeon's own book of speeches.
Details of the Indictment
The 126-page indictment against Murrell, 61, details hundreds of transactions that prosecutors allege were funded with embezzled SNP money. Among the most notable items is a Celestron NexStar computerised telescope costing £1,199, along with accessories purchased on the same day. Other high-value purchases include a Jura Giga 5 Cromo coffee machine at £3,231, designer pepper and salt grinders for £2,618, and eight umbrellas totalling nearly £2,000.
Luxury Homeware and Gadgets
The spending spree extended to household items such as an oak library ladder (£943), a Royal Mint silver proof coin set (£625), and an Airbus model helicopter (£550). Smaller purchases included two toilet seats costing nearly £70, a £60 designer bread bin, washing-up bowls, soap baskets, and a Jamie Oliver wooden spoon set. Murrell also bought a Le Creuset wine cooler and champagne opener set, an Oxo egg poacher, and almost £200 worth of cupboard organisers.
Personal Accessories and Gifts
Personal items included three designer manicure sets (£294), a special edition Beatles fountain pen and rollerball set (£1,475), and four space pens (£89). The indictment also reveals entertainment purchases such as boxsets of the Danish political thriller Borgen and crime drama The Killing, as well as video games Grand Theft Auto V, Battlefield 4, and FIFA 2014. A Monopoly board game was also bought using embezzled funds.
Estranged Wife's Book
Prosecutors noted that Murrell spent £22 on a copy of Women Hold Up Half the Sky: Selected Speeches of Nicola Sturgeon, a book authored by his then-wife. The couple announced their separation in January 2025.
Nicola Sturgeon's Response
Nicola Sturgeon has stated she had no knowledge or suspicion that personal items were purchased using SNP funds. In a statement released through her lawyer, Aamer Anwar, she emphasised that she and Murrell maintained separate bank accounts, and she had no access to his financial records. She added, 'In relation to many of the items in question, for example expensive watches and games consoles, I was not aware of them having been purchased at all.' Sturgeon also noted that she was cleared of any wrongdoing after a lengthy investigation by Police Scotland.
Full List of Purchases
- Celestron 10169 NexStar 8SE computerised telescope (£1,199)
- The Killing seasons 1-3 on DVD (£60)
- Grand Theft Auto V for PlayStation 4 (£42.99)
- Three Wusthof manicure sets (£293.70)
- Joseph Joseph bread bin (£60)
- Netatmo rain gauge for weather station (£78.99)
- Beatles special edition fountain pen and rollerball set (£1,475)
- 1:30 scale model helicopter from Airbus (£550.59)
- Two pairs of Fit Nation Socks (£11.95)
- Victorinox bike tool kit (£22.41)
- Carabiner clips and rock climbing tool (£40.49)
- Oxo Good Grips egg poacher set (£23.98)
- Monopoly board game (£19.79)
- Copy of Women Hold Up Half the Sky (£22.04)
- Fisher space pens and Fischer space pens (£89.25)
- Gold Leaf gloves and Avon Skin So Soft body spray (£58.73)
- Luxury handmade 90th birthday card (£5.85)
- Jura Giga 5 Cromo coffee machine (£3,231.90)
- Two Smedbo Sideline design soap baskets (£116)
- Oak library ladder (£943)
- Jamie Oliver Acacia wooden spoon set (£14.88)
- Four Simple Human kitchen cupboard organisers (£196.08)
- Two Helly Hansen men's vests (£140.49)
- Le Creuset wine cooler and opener set (£57)
- Three Take the Slow Road books (£42.45)
- 2017 UK silver proof coin set from Royal Mint (£625)
- 600g pack of Chocolossus biscuits (£17.95)
- Two Ideal Standard toilet seats (£68.82)
- Fortnum & Mason musical advent calendar (£150)
- Two Addis washing-up bowls (£10.98)
- Folio Society edition of Rob Roy (£307.50)
- Two Feuilles pepper and salt grinders (£2,618.16)
- George Foreman Flexe 26250 electric grill (£49.99)
- Three Jacobi Jane bird feeders (£154.97)
- Eight umbrellas (£1,990.50)
Murrell is scheduled to be sentenced next month. The case has sent shockwaves through Scottish politics, highlighting the misuse of party funds for personal gain.
