Peter Murrell to be sentenced for embezzling SNP funds

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell is to be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday after he admitted embezzling more than £400,000 from the party.

Murrell - the estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon - used the funds to buy goods ranging from cars and a motorhome to kitchenware and toiletries.

The 61-year-old has been remanded in custody since pleading guilty last month and is facing a substantial jail term.

Sturgeon has denied any knowledge of his wrongdoing, saying she was "deceived, betrayed and lied to".

At a court hearing on 25 May, Murrell admitted embezzling £400,310.65 from the SNP between 2010 and 2022.

Police Scotland began investigating the party's finances in 2021 after questions were asked about what had happened to £667,000 raised for a second independence referendum campaign.

Officers were initially looking into potential fraud when they uncovered Murrell's embezzlement.

They found Murrell had used charge cards, bank transfers and fake invoices to illicitly purchase items including jewellery, cosmetics, stationery, and games consoles.

The former SNP chief executive was first arrested in April 2023, a few weeks after resigning due to a row about membership figures.

The Glasgow home he shared with Sturgeon was searched as part of the police operation, as was SNP headquarters in Edinburgh.

Sturgeon - who had stepped down as first minister in March 2023 - was arrested as part of the police investigation but was later told that she was no longer under investigation.

The former first minister announced last year that the pair were ending their marriage.

First Minister John Swinney, who appointed Murrell in 2001 during his first spell as SNP leader, has apologised to party members.

However, he has denied any attempts to shut down concerns about party finances.

He said he was "horrified" by Murrell's conduct, describing it as an "overwhelming betrayal".

The SNP leader has rejected calls for an inquiry into the case, saying it would not provide more answers than the four-year police investigation.

You can watch a live stream of Peter Murrell's court appearance, and follow updates and analysis, on the BBC Scotland News website