Peter Murrell sentenced to five years in prison for embezzling SNP funds

Former Scottish National Party chief executive Peter Murrell, the estranged husband of ex‑First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, was sentenced at Edinburgh’s High Court to five years and three months in prison. He pleaded guilty to stealing more than £400,000 from the party between 2010 and 2022, using charge cards, direct bank transfers and false invoices to purchase luxury items – a £124,550 motorhome, two high‑end watches, a Jaguar I‑Pace, a Volkswagen Golf and a range of home‑ware and jewellery. Judge Lord Young called the conduct a “calculated crime of dishonesty” and said the sentence would have been seven years had Murrell not pleaded guilty; it was back‑dated to 25 May 2026, with parole possible after half the term. The case emerged from Operation Branchform, a police investigation that began in 2021 after concerns over party finances. Sturgeon has denied any knowledge of the fraud and was cleared of wrongdoing. The court emphasized the sentence as a deterrent to senior officials who might abuse their positions.