Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has appeared in court again after admitting to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party. Murrell, 61, was brought to the High Court in Edinburgh in a white prison van, where prosecutors outlined the facts of the case. Judge Lord Young heard the prosecution's narrative, with sentencing scheduled for later in June.
Murrell pleaded guilty last week to embezzling £400,310.65 from the SNP between August 2010 and October 2022. Court papers revealed a list of items purchased with the stolen money, including a space telescope, DVDs, a home library ladder worth over £900, and a coffee machine costing nearly £3,232. Two cars and a £124,550 motorhome were also among the purchases.
The guilty plea has intensified scrutiny on Murrell's ex-wife, former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon. Sturgeon has denied knowledge of the crimes, stating she was 'deceived, misled and betrayed'. She claimed to have been 'completely exonerated' following a two-year police investigation, which included a search of her home. Sturgeon was arrested and questioned but faced no action.
Sturgeon told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg that she feels like she is 'serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit'. The scandal has prompted calls for an independent investigation into SNP finances. Former first minister Lord Jack McConnell has urged a joint inquiry by Holyrood and Westminster committees, while shadow Scottish secretary Andrew Bowie wants the Scottish Affairs Committee to investigate.
However, current SNP leader and first minister John Swinney has dismissed the need for an inquiry, citing the thorough police investigation. He said: 'The police investigation has led to a criminal case. There has been a prosecution and there has been a guilty plea and there will be sentencing taking place as a consequence. We know what the problem was – the problem was criminal behaviour.'
