Peter Murrell Leaves Court in Handcuffs After £400,000 SNP E

Updated: 2026-05-19 — Former Scottish National Party chief executive Peter Murrell left Edinburgh High Court in handcuffs on Tuesday after a narrative hearing revealed how he embezzled £400,310.65 from party accounts over a 12-year period. He was escorted to a prison van and will return for sentencing on 23 June.

What happened

Lord Young heard how Murrell used SNP charge cards, cards belonging to two staff members, direct bank transfers and false invoices to disguise personal spending funded by membership fees, donations and legacy payments between 2010 and 2022.

Prosecutors said Murrell made 383 Amazon purchases totalling £42,660.74 that were not for party purposes, along with 238 purchases from other retailers. He left the dock with his head bowed as guards placed handcuffs on him before he was led away.

Key details

Among the largest transactions outlined in court, according to BBC reporting:

A £124,550 motorhome bought in October 2020 with SNP funds, driven to his mother's address in Dunfermline and seized by police in April 2023 with only four miles on the clock. The Crown Office released the first images of the vehicle's interior.
Two watches costing £9,350, recorded in party accounts as "event merchandise".
A Volkswagen bought in 2016 for £32,989 and later traded for a Jaguar I-PACE costing £81,277, partly funded through fraudulent expense claims and false invoices.
Smaller items included coffee machines, garden equipment, a robotic lawnmower, an ornate wine coaster and a £30 hospital parking ticket paid on an SNP card.

Murrell's lawyer, John Scullion KC, said mitigation would be reserved until sentencing. A criminal justice social work report has been ordered. Murrell remains on remand at HMP Edinburgh.

What happens next

Sentencing is scheduled for 23 June. Lord Young told Murrell last week he was responsible for a "gross breach of trust." BBC Scotland reports he could serve time at HMP Dumfries or another mainstream Scottish prison.

Nicola Sturgeon, Murrell's estranged wife and former first minister, has repeatedly denied any knowledge of the embezzlement. She was cleared of involvement after being arrested as part of the police investigation.