"Murrell held a prominent role of privilege and authority within Scotland’s public sphere," stated assistant chief constable Stuart Houston of Police Scotland.

Peter Murrell, erstwhile chief executive of the Scottish National Party and former spouse of Nicola Sturgeon, received a prison sentence of five years and three months for the misappropriation of £400,000 from party funds.

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Police were alerted to suspected fiscal irregularities within the SNP in March 2021 after a complaint was filed. Subsequent complaints prompted a formal investigation.

Authorities conducted a search of Murrell’s residence on 5 April 2023, which was followed by his arrest.

Between August 2010 and October 2022, the 61-year-old, convicted on 25 May 2026, allegedly acquired a range of costly items through the SNP’s main bank account under his control, according to prosecutors. He manipulated the party’s accounting records with «misleading descriptions and/or accounting codes» to conceal these transactions.

Among the acquisitions were two high-end watches totaling £9,350.25, a coffee machine priced at £3,231.90, Montblanc products amounting to £24,342.60, and a motorhome costing £124,550.

Murrell’s tenure as chief executive of the SNP spanned from 2001 until 2023.

Assistant chief constable Stuart Houston of Police Scotland, who led the inquiry, remarked that the sentence demonstrates that individuals who violate the law, betray trust, and embezzle substantial sums will face justice, regardless of their status or position.

“Murrell occupied a significant position of privilege and power in public life in Scotland, entrusted to oversee the day-to-day operations of the country’s governing political party,» he added. «His deliberate and premeditated acts to deceive and steal for personal benefit reveal a blatant disregard for those who placed their confidence in him.”