Peter Murrell sells Portuguese villa after legal‑aid approval

Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of Scotland’s SNP who pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from party funds, sold a holiday villa in the Algarve in October 2025. The property, overlooking the Nossa Senhora da Rocha beach, was jointly owned with his sister and family friends and was sold to a Portuguese investment company for a price estimated between £346,000 and £518,000.

Murrell’s legal‑aid grant was approved by the Scottish Legal Aid Board in April 2024, six months before the sale. The villa was not frozen by authorities as part of the Operation Branchform investigation, prompting criticism from politicians. Conservative justice spokesman Stephen Kerr said, “This absolutely stinks and undermines public confidence in Scotland’s legal‑aid system.” Murrell is awaiting sentencing on 23 June 2026 and his lawyer has said he will repay the stolen funds using frozen assets.

The case has revived debate over the eligibility criteria for legal aid when individuals own overseas assets.