{"id":6455,"date":"2026-06-23T08:59:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T08:59:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/former-snp-chief-jailed-for-five-years-over-400000-embezzlement-of-party-funds\/"},"modified":"2026-06-23T08:59:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T08:59:16","slug":"former-snp-chief-jailed-for-five-years-over-400000-embezzlement-of-party-funds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/former-snp-chief-jailed-for-five-years-over-400000-embezzlement-of-party-funds\/","title":{"rendered":"Former SNP chief jailed for five years over \u00a3400,000 embezzlement of party funds"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_ec70ad\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Nicola Sturgeon&#8217;s estranged husband had admitted to using SNP funds to splash out on luxury goods, including a \u00a3124,000 motorhome, and two Bremont watches for a total of \u00a39,350<\/h2>\n<div class=\"Byline_byline-container__K_Owl\" data-testid=\"byline\"><span class=\"Byline_byline-content-wrapper__Imque\" data-testid=\"byline-content\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"Byline_author-badge-date-wrapper__Q7jj1\">\n<p><span class=\"\" data-testid=\"byline-publishedDate\"><\/span><span class=\"ArticleTimestamp_updated-date__7qD4Q ArticleTimestamp_updated-date-with-published__iFKpF\" data-testid=\"byline-updatedDate\">Updated <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"34469130\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has been jailed\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article34469130.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/4_FILES-BRITAIN-SCOTLAND-POLITICS.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article34469130.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/4_FILES-BRITAIN-SCOTLAND-POLITICS.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article34469130.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/4_FILES-BRITAIN-SCOTLAND-POLITICS.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article34469130.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/4_FILES-BRITAIN-SCOTLAND-POLITICS.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has been jailed\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has been jailed<cite aria-label=\"Image: POOL\/AFP via Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: POOL\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Former <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/snp\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">SNP<\/a> chief executive Peter Murrell has been jailed for five years and three months after embezzling more than \u00a3400,000 from the SNP to bankroll his lavish lifestyle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Nicola Sturgeon&#8217;s estranged husband had admitted to using SNP funds to <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/politics\/nicola-sturgeon-bbc-peter-murrell-37227483\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">splash out on luxury goods<\/a>, including a \u00a3124,000 motorhome, two Bremont watches for a total of \u00a39,350, two Montblanc Boheme Noir fountain pens for \u00a31,407 and a \u00a33,500 Hamilton and Inches silver wine coaster.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He also falsified accounting records and created fake invoices in a bid to cover up his wrongdoing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">After pleading guilty, he was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh, where Lord Young told the hearing the sentence would have been seven years if Murrell had not plead guilty.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37334105\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37334105\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Peter Murrell arrived at court in a prison van \" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37334105.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Peter-Murrell-court-case.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37334105.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_Peter-Murrell-court-case.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37334105.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Peter-Murrell-court-case.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37334105.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Peter-Murrell-court-case.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Peter Murrell arrived at court in a prison van \" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Peter Murrell arrived at court in a prison van <cite aria-label=\"Image: Jane Barlow\/PA Wire\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Jane Barlow\/PA Wire)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Sentencing, Lord Young said: &#8220;One factor in the sentence which I imposed today will be to act as a deterrent to any senior officials in other law large organisations who might be tempted to abuse their position in the way that you did.<em\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;I acknowledge that you&#8217;ve played an important and committed role within a very successful political party in Scotland, and the public coverage of your downfall will make future employment difficult, if not impossible.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;I<em> <\/em>Impose a sentence of five years, three months imprisonment.<em> <\/em>I shall backdate that sentence to the 25th of May, 2026, when you first remanded in custody.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Court documents show he created a false invoice for \u00a357,500 to buy a \u00a381,277 Jaguar I-Pace, which he then sold for \u00a347,378. He used \u00a316,489 of SNP funds for a \u00a332,989 Volkswagen <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/sport\/golf\/\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Golf<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He made some lower-end purchases, including \u00a32.50 Neutrogena hand cream, staples for \u00a34 and Chinese takeaway curry sauce paste for \u00a312. He also splashed out on a \u00a367 toilet seat, according to a 125-page list.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">His KC John Scullion said Murrell had &#8220;sufficient funds&#8221; to repay the \u00a3400,000 sum in full, and that his client has lived in \u201cisolation\u201d since his guilty plea.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Murrell was first arrested in April 2023 as part of Operation Branchform &#8211; the police investigation into the SNP\u2019s finances &#8211; and was charged in April 2024.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Ms Sturgeon was married to Murrell for 15 years until the couple announced they had split last year. In a statement after his guilty plea, she said: &#8220;To be deceived and let down by a husband I loved and trusted has caused me acute pain. Why he acted as he did is, and always will be, beyond my comprehension.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;To be clear: I had no knowledge or suspicion that he was using SNP funds for personal purposes. I am utterly appalled that he did so and cannot begin to understand why. That I was fully cleared after a thorough investigation underlines that these were not my crimes. I was misled, just as others were.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Murrell and Ms Sturgeon were once one of the most powerful couples in UK politics. Ms Sturgeon was First Minister for eight years, and Murrell served as SNP chief executive for more than 20 years, until he stepped down in 2023 for misleading the media on party membership figures.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The explosive news has rocked the SNP, with party leader and First Minister John Swinney issuing a grovelling apology to members, saying the \u201clevel of personal horror\u201d he felt over Murrell\u2019s crimes was \u201cdifficult for me to properly convey\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He said it was a &#8220;terrible breach of trust and an overwhelming betrayal by the man entrusted to be the party&#8217;s chief executive&#8221;. He added: &#8220;Today I feel the overwhelming anger felt by SNP members.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/politics\/murrell-snp-jailed-sturgeon-funds-37333992\" target=\"_blank\">Source link<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nicola Sturgeon&#8217;s estranged husband had admitted to using SNP funds to splash out on luxury<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6456,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/4_FILES-BRITAIN-SCOTLAND-POLITICS.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6455"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6455\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6456"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}