Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the SNP who embezzled more than £400,000 from the party, has been jailed for more than five years.
Lord Young sentenced Murrell, the estranged husband of former SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, to a backdated sentence of five years and three months at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Ms Sturgeon has said through her lawyer that she is “innocent of any crime”, while hitting out at “anonymous sources” which have tried to “insinuate guilt” on her part.
Murrell, 61, entered the dock of the court shortly after 9.30am, having arrived in a prison van.
Lord Young told Murrell he had committed a “calculated crime of dishonesty”, with a “large number of fraudulent acts over a 12-year period while you were chief executive officer of the SNP”.
He said the offending increased in frequency and amount over time.
He added: “You found yourself unable to stop this offending, and it was only the detection of the crime that brought it to an end.”
The judge said Murrell was responsible for a “significant breach of trust” within the SNP and he used his position to get away with the crime.
Lord Young added: “On any view, the total sum involved in this case was a substantial one, and the embezzlement spanned a long time.”
He said it was “difficult to get a clear picture for what drove your actions” given that some of the items bought by Murrell with the money were not even used.
Lord Young said he would have jailed Murrell for more than seven years had he not pled guilty.
Sentence was backdated to 25 May of this year, when Murrell’s guilty plea was entered at court.
His lawyer John Scullion KC presented pleas in mitigation.
He told the High Court in Edinburgh: “For many months he has lived in almost total isolation.”
He said his client accepted blame and he had been “ostracised” by his former colleagues.
Mr Scullion said he had become a “figure of public ridicule” as a result of his purchases.
The defence lawyer also said Murrell had sufficient funds to repay the money he embezzled.
The court was told that Murrell wanted to repay the money as a way to make a start toward atoning for his crimes.
He said that his client acknowledges a custodial sentence entirely deserved, adding that Murrell recognises the harm his actions have caused.
“In my submission, the accused is now an individual overwhelmed by feelings of embarrassment and shame,” he told judge Lord Young.
Confiscation hearings have been postponed until September this year.
Last month, Murrell pleaded guilty to embezzling a total of £400,310.65 over a 12-year period between August 2010 and October 2022.
He used the funds to make hundreds of extravagant purchases, including a £124,550 motorhome, cars, jewellery, luxury homewares and designer stationery.
The court previously heard Murrell’s role enabled him to make direct transfers of cash from the party’s main bank account, which held funds from “membership fees and donations paid by party members and other donors and legacies”.
Murrell also used multiple party “charge cards”, as well as making a number of false expense claims.
He tried to dodge suspicion by giving his purchases “misleading descriptions and/or accounting codes” in the party’s finance system, to which he had direct access.
The court heard a robotic lawnmower, which was purchased by Murrell for £3,070, was misdescribed as “legal fees” in the SNP’s accounting software.
A silver wine coaster worth £3,500 was described as “leadership expenses”.
Murrell’s offending came to light after police began receiving complaints about potential mismanagement of the SNP’s finances in March 2021.
This led to an investigation, during which police uncovered evidence of Murrell’s embezzlement.
Murrell’s guilty plea has led to intense scrutiny for his former wife Ms Sturgeon, who has denied knowing of his crimes – saying she was “deceived, misled and betrayed”.
The former SNP leader said she has been “completely exonerated” after a “two-year-long, very forensic police investigation” which saw police officers search the home she and Murrell had shared.
Ms Sturgeon was arrested and questioned as part of the police investigation into the SNP’s finances, which was known as Operation Branchform, but Police Scotland confirmed she would face no action.
The case has also led to widespread calls for inquiries into Murrell’s wrongdoing.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Murrell’s lawyer told the court that the former SNP chief executive recognises he is entirely to blame for his predicament.
“He does not seek to avoid or deflect from that conclusion,” said Mr Scullion.
“At present he does not consider himself worthy of sympathy, acknowledging that not only is a custodial sentence inevitable, but that it is entirely deserved.”
In mitigation, the lawyer noted that Murrell is 61 and has no previous convictions.
“In my submission, he is someone who has otherwise led a constructive life and has made a positive contribution to society,” he said.
“I think it is also fair to observe that the sentence imposed by this court will only be part of his punishment.
“His plea of guilty is life-changing. It has ended his career and future career prospects. He has been ostracised by his friends and former colleagues. The nature of many of his purchases, detailed in the narrative and schedules to the indictment, has made him a figure of public ridicule.”
He added: “His humiliation will endure beyond any sentence your lordship imposes, and may prove lifelong. His future beyond custody is uncertain, but presently it appears bleak and solitary.”
Following the sentencing, a senior Police Scotland officer praised those who came forward with concerns about Peter Murrell’s actions.
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston said: “Murrell occupied a significant position of privilege and power in public life in Scotland, entrusted to oversee the day-to-day operations of the country’s governing political party.
“His undeniably deliberate and calculated actions to mislead and steal for his own personal gain have proved his disregard for those who placed their trust in him.
“People came forward and told us of their sense and experiences of things not being right, and they are to be publicly commended – their statements, combined with our investigations, have led to the outcome we see today.”
