Key Points
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Peter Murrell has been jailed for five years and three months for stealing over £400,000 from the SNP - Murrell’s lawyer John Scullion KC says there will be full repayment of money embezzled
- Court hears Murrell is ‘overwhelmed with embarrassment and shame’ and has become ‘figure of public ridicule’
- Murrell admits being unable to stop offending and only ceased when he was detected
- Lord Young: ‘Difficult to get clear picture for what drove your actions’
- He used the cash to ‘bankroll the lavish lifestyle he craved but could not afford’, police said
- The case follows a Police Scotland inquiry into SNP finances, known as Operations Branchform, launched in 2021
- Murrell was first arrested in April 2023 and charged in 2024, he has previously appeared in court and entered no plea
The SNP’s former chief executive has been sentenced to five years and three months in prison after admitting to embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds from the party.
Peter Murrell appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday, where Judge Lord Young told him that he had carried out “a significant breach of trust”.
He added that Murrell would have faced a seven-year sentence had he not pleaded guilty at the preliminary hearing.
The judge told the 61-year-old that he could not identify any factors that caused him to offend and that could be considered mitigatory.
“It is very difficult to get a clear picture of what drove your actions, with many high-value items unused”, Lord Young said.
He said Murrell presents a “minimal risk of general reoffending” according to risk assessments.
His sentence will be backdated to May 25, when he was first remanded in custody.
Murrell, the estranged husband of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, embezzled funds from the SNP between August 2010 and October 2022.
The 61-year-old used the money to buy numerous items – including a motorhome and luxury goods – and towards the purchase of two cars.
Police ScotlandLord Young previously told Murrell his actions amounted to a gross breach of trust and that his offending had increased in frequency and amount over time.
He was originally accused of embezzling £459,049, but this was reduced to £400,310.65.
The indictment stated that in 2020, Murrell used party funds to buy a £124,550 motorhome for his own personal use.
He also used £57,500 of SNP money towards buying an £81,000 Jaguar I-PACE car in 2019, and £16,489 towards a £33,000 Volkswagen Golf bought in early 2016.
Getty ImagesUntil he stood down in 2023 during the leadership race to succeed Sturgeon as First Minister, Murrell had been chief executive of the SNP for more than 20 years.
In his sentencing remarks, Lord Young told Murrell: “Your actions involved a significant breach of trust to the organisation which you led, and to the individual members and donors of that organisation.
“Because of your position of authority. You were able to circumvent the checks and balances that existed. The manner of the embezzlement, although not particularly sophisticated, included the fabrication of invoices.
“You gave false information to junior members of staff to input into the accounting system.
“This is a calculated crime of dishonesty. And let me make it clear to you, one factor in the sentence which I imposed today will be to act as a deterrent to any senior officials and other large organisations who might be tempted to abuse their position in the way that you did.
“The office of the Criminal Justice Social Work Report sought to explore with you the reasons for your offending. You identified possible factors arising from your background, working life and personal circumstances.
“But in truth, it is very difficult to get a clear picture of what drove your actions. Many of the high-value items acquired by you were not even used.
“And for my purposes today, I think it’s sufficient to say that I cannot identify any factors which caused you to offend, which might be considered to be mitigating factors.”
‘Figure of public ridicule’
Murrell’s lawyer, John Scullion KC, told the court that his client had “behaved dishonestly and went to considerable lengths to cover his crimes”.
He added that he accepts full responsibility for his actions and that his guilty plea had been “life-changing” and had ended his career and future career prospects.
In his statement before sentencing, Mr Scullion said Murrell has been “overwhelmed by feelings of embarrassment and shame”
He added: “Since 2020, he has gradually withdrawn from social contact. He has lived in social isolation at times to the detriment of his health.
“He does not consider himself worthy of sympathy and acknowledges that a custodial sentence is deserved.”
Murrell was described as being ostracised by his friends and many of his colleagues.
Mr Scullion said he has become “a figure of public ridicule” whose sentence may prove “lifelong” with
“His sentence may prove lifelong, and his future after custody bleak.”
Investigation
Assistant chief constable Stuart Houston had oversight of Operation Branchform, Police Scotland’s investigation into the embezzlement.
ACC Houston said: “This was a lengthy and extremely complex case due to the scale of criminality over a 12-year period and the lengths Peter Murrell went to try and cover his tracks.
“I commend the professionalism and absolute dedication of the Operation Branchform team, who spent more than four years carrying out extensive enquiries across Europe to unpick Murrell’s offending.
“All of this work, in close partnership with colleagues from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, was carried out under the most intense public scrutiny, and it was their commitment to gathering such detailed and compelling evidence that brought us to the High Court today.
Getty Images“This is without doubt one of the most high-profile investigations in recent times, and it is testimony to the work of Police Scotland officers and staff that has led to Peter Murrell’s admission of guilt early in the court process.
“I would also like to thank the many witnesses who came forward to provide us with statements as we built the case against Peter Murrell. Their engagement with us was vital.
“Peter Murrell has shown utter contempt for the high public trust placed in him as the Chief Executive of a political party and his position in the wider political establishment in Scotland for many years.
“He abused his privileged position with access to Scottish National Party funds to divert cash into his own accounts and bankroll the lavish lifestyle he craved but could not afford.
“From 2010 to 2022, he spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on luxury goods while carefully trying to hide his criminality with false receipts and accounting.
“He must now face the consequences of his actions.”
What prompted the investigation?
In July 2021, Police Scotland confirmed that detectives were investigating the party’s finances after seven complaints were made around donations to the SNP.
The probe cast a shadow over the party for several years and Sturgeon stunned the political world by suddenly announcing her resignation as First Minister on February 15, 2023.
Sturgeon, 54, and former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie, 73, were arrested and questioned as part of the investigation in June 2023 but were released without charge.
Operation Branchform concluded in March last year when police confirmed that Sturgeon and Beattie would face no further action.
Sturgeon said she had been “vindicated” and that there was “never a scrap of evidence” against her.
What did Peter Murrell purchase?
Murrell’s purchases ranged from Andrex toilet paper to a £124,000 motorhome.
He bought gaming consoles, games, DVD box sets and books, men’s and women’s clothing, luxury kitchen utensils, fancy glassware, gardening gear, power tools, Chinese curry sauce paste, shortbread and shoes.
In the days after losing the independence referendum, he bought FIFA 15 Ultimate Edition for the PS4.
He bought £12,000 worth of Apple products. He spent thousands on Montblanc pens – including £3,000 on John F Kennedy and Beatles special editions.
He bought thousands of pounds worth of Le Creuset products, spent more than a grand on mug warmers, bought Lalique Feuilles salt and pepper grinders worth £2,618, and spent £3,000 on a luxury bone china tea set.
He bought expensive Advent calendars, including two from Fortnum and Mason at £200 each. He spent just over £42,660 on Amazon.
In 2016, he used £16,489 in party funds towards a £33,000 Volkswagen Golf. In 2019, he used £12,042 towards buying an £81,000 Jaguar I-PACE car.
In 2020, Murrell bought a £124,550 Niesmann and Bischoff Smove 7.4e motorhome for his own personal use.
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