Nicola Sturgeon severs contact with husband Peter Murrell

Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed she has severed all contact with her estranged husband, Peter Murrell, following his imprisonment for embezzling over £400,000 from the Scottish National Party (SNP).

During a podcast recording at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Sturgeon described the experience of discovering Murrell's crimes as a process she is still navigating, stating, "He was still lying to me right up until the day he pled guilty." She revealed that she only learned of his intention to plead guilty one week before his court appearance, despite him negotiating the plea for months.

Murrell, the former SNP chief executive, is serving a sentence of five years and three months after pleading guilty to embezzling £400,310.65 in party funds between 2010 and 2022. The misappropriated funds were used for various personal expenditures, including a motorhome, a Jaguar SUV, luxury cosmetics, and other high-end items.

Sturgeon, who has consistently denied any knowledge of the financial misconduct and faced no charges, expressed regret for having previously worried about Murrell's mental health during the period leading up to his imprisonment. "What a mug, why were you worried about him?" she remarked, noting that he showed no concern for the impact of his actions on her.