Former Scottish National Party (SNP) chief executive Peter Murrell has been sentenced to five years and three months in prison after admitting to embezzling more than £400,000 from party funds over a 12-year period.
Murrell, who served as the SNP’s chief executive for more than two decades, pleaded guilty to misappropriating party money between 2010 and 2023. Prosecutors revealed that the funds were used to purchase vehicles, a luxury motorhome, designer goods, and other personal items.
Handing down the sentence at the High Court in Edinburgh, the judge described Murrell’s actions as a “calculated act of dishonesty” and a serious breach of trust. The court emphasized that the prison term should serve as a deterrent to senior officials who abuse positions of power for personal gain.
The case has been one of the most significant political scandals in Scotland in recent years, creating major embarrassment for the SNP. Murrell is the estranged husband of former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who was investigated during the wider probe into party finances but was cleared of wrongdoing in 2025.
Authorities are expected to continue efforts to recover the stolen funds through legal proceedings. The conviction marks a significant development in the long-running investigation into the SNP’s finances and raises renewed questions about governance and financial oversight within political organizations.