The former husband of ex-Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been sentenced to more than five years in prison after admitting embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds from the Scottish National Party (SNP).
Peter Murrell, who served as the SNP’s chief executive for more than two decades, was jailed for five years and three months at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday after pleading guilty to embezzling party funds.
The court heard Murrell abused his position of trust within the SNP by taking more than £400,000 from party accounts over a number of years.
Judge Lord Young told Murrell he had committed a serious breach of trust and damaged confidence in the political process through his actions.
The case arose from a long-running police investigation into the SNP’s finances, launched after concerns were raised about money donated by supporters for a future Scottish independence campaign.
Prosecutors said Murrell used party funds for personal spending and took deliberate steps to conceal the missing money.
The sentencing marks a dramatic fall from grace for a man who was once one of the most influential figures behind the scenes in Scottish politics.
Murrell led the SNP’s operations for more than 20 years and played a key role during the party’s rise to power in Scotland.
His former wife, Nicola Sturgeon, served as Scotland’s First Minister between 2014 and 2023 and was one of the most recognisable figures in British politics.
Sturgeon has repeatedly denied any involvement in the offences and has said she was unaware of the misuse of party funds. She was questioned during the wider police investigation but was not charged.
The scandal has cast a long shadow over the SNP, which dominated Scottish politics for much of the past decade.
Current SNP leader and First Minister John Swinney has previously described Murrell’s actions as a betrayal of the party and its members.
Further legal proceedings are expected as authorities seek to recover assets and funds connected to the offences.
Murrell’s sentence brings one of the most high-profile political finance scandals in recent Scottish history to a close, although the wider impact on the SNP’s reputation is likely to continue for some time.
