Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party and estranged husband of ex-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, was sentenced to five years and three months in prison after pleading guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party.
Murrell, 61, did not react as the sentence was read out in court. He stared straight ahead before being led away in handcuffs. The sentence was backdated to May 25, when he was remanded in custody after entering his guilty plea.
Judge Lord Young described the offenses as a "calculated crime of dishonesty" but told the court he had been unable to identify a clear motive. Lord Young said: "I cannot identify any factors which caused you to offend, which might be considered to be mitigatory factors." He also described Murrell's future employment prospects as "difficult if not impossible."
At a court hearing on May 25, Murrell admitted to embezzling £400,310.65 from the SNP between 2010 and 2022. Investigators found he had used charge cards, bank transfers, and fake invoices to purchase items including jewelry, cosmetics, stationery, games consoles, cars, a motorhome, and kitchenware. The judge noted that many of the high-value items were never even used.
The investigation began in 2021 after questions arose about what had happened to £667,000 raised by the SNP for a second Scottish independence referendum campaign. Police Scotland officers initially looking into those funds ultimately uncovered the wider embezzlement.
Murrell's defense lawyer, John Scullion KC, told the court his client accepted full responsibility and had expressed guilt and remorse. He acknowledged the "psychological and financial harm" done to the SNP and others, and described Murrell as "overwhelmed by feelings of embarrassment and shame." Scullion said that following his arrest, Murrell lived "in almost total isolation" for months "at times to the detriment of his health," and faced a "bleak and solitary" future.
Lord Young said the sentence would have been seven years had Murrell not pleaded guilty. He noted that the punishment was intended to serve as a deterrent to senior leaders of large organizations who might be tempted to act in a similar way. The judge accepted that Murrell was remorseful and presented a minimal risk of reoffending.
Nicola Sturgeon has denied any knowledge of the wrongdoing, saying she was "deceived."