Nicola Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell banned from selling marital home

Nicola Sturgeon’s husband has been banned from selling the couple’s marital home after being charged with embezzlement.

Peter Murrell had the restriction placed on him months after he was charged as part of Operation Branchform, a long-running investigation into SNP finances, in April last year.

The 60-year-old was the party’s chief executive for 23 years and married the former first minister in 2010.

Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell's house was searched by Police Scotland. — Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell’s house was searched by Police Scotland. STV News

Sturgeon announced that the couple had been separated for “some time” and were getting divorced in a social media post earlier this month.

Murrell has been the subject of an “inhibition” since June 2024. An inhibition prevents selling a property or taking out loans against it.

Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon splits from husband amid police investigation

The former SNP leader announced that her marriage to the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party Peter Murrell was ending.

The Register of Inhibitions, seen by STV News, lists Murrell as living at the marital home in Uddingston that the couple bought in 2005 for £228,000.

It states that the Lord Advocate – Scotland’s top lawyer – triggered the inhibition, which only relates to the home once searched by police and forensics officers.

Operation Branchform

Operation Branchform has been ongoing since 2021 and is investigating what happened to around £600,000 raised by the party for independence campaigning.

Sturgeon and former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie were questioned as part of the investigation in June 2023 but were not charged.

A Freedom of Information request published in November confirmed that 11 police officers are currently allocated to the investigation.

The former first minster said she knew “nothing more” about the police investigation when asked in December.

A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: “It would not be appropriate to comment in detail on steps taken by the Crown during an investigation.

“Court actions must be registered in the name of the Lord Advocate and that reflects a constitutional position and not personal involvement.

“The investigation into SNP finances is being handled by professional prosecutors from COPFS and independent counsel without the involvement of the Lord Advocate or Solicitor General.”