PETER Murrell was "unable to stop" embezzling money from the SNP and no reasoning for his crimes could be considered "mitigatory", judge Lord Young said at the former party chief executive's sentencing on Tuesday.
Appearing at Edinburgh High Court, Murrell was ultimately given five years and three months in prison for embezzling more than £400,000 from the SNP over a 12-year period.
Lord Young said that Murrell's sentence would have been longer had he not pleaded guilty to the charge at a preliminary hearing in May.
You can read the judge's full statement on Murrell's sentencing below.
The judge's full statement on sentencing former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell
Lord Young said: "Peter Murrell, last month you pled guilty to a single charge of embezzlement.
"You carried out a large number of fraudulent acts over a twelve-year period while you were chief executive officer of the Scottish National Party.
"In total, a sum of just over £400,000 was taken from that organisation and your offending increased in frequency and in amount over time.
"As set out in the criminal justice social work report that I now have, you found yourself unable to stop this offending and it was only the detection of the crime which brought it to an end.
"Your actions involved a significant breach of trust to the organisation which you led and to the individual members and donors of that organisation.
"Because of your position of authority, you were able to circumvent the checks and balances that existed.
"The manner of the embezzlement, although not particularly sophisticated, included the fabrication of invoices.
"You gave false information to junior members of staff to input into the accounting system.
"All told, this is a calculated crime of dishonesty, and let me make it clear to you, one factor in the sentence which I impose today will be to act as a deterrent to any senior officials in other large organisations who might be tempted to abuse their position in the way that you did.
"On any view, the sum involved in this case was a substantial one, and the period involved was a long time.
"Now, the author of the criminal justice social work report sought to explore with you the reasons for your offending.
"You identified possible factors arising from your background, working life, and personal circumstances, but in truth, it is very difficult to get a clear picture for what drove your actions.
"Many of the high-value items acquired by you were not even used, and for my purposes today, I think it's sufficient to say that I cannot identify any factors which caused you to offend which might be considered to be mitigatory factors.
"Now I've listened very carefully to everything said on your behalf by [lawyer John Scullion KC]. You are of course a first offender, albeit this indictment covers a lengthy period of time.
"I acknowledge that you've played an important and committed role within a very successful political party in Scotland and the public coverage of your downfall will make future employment difficult, if not impossible.
"The author of the criminal justice social work report considers that you're not attempting to minimise or excuse your offending in any way. You are described as remorseful and I accept that.
"You present a minimal risk of general reoffending according to the risk assessments carried out on you.
"I'm also told that a full repayment of the sums embezzled can reasonably be expected from your own personal funds, and I shall proceed on that basis.
"Now, you pled guilty to this charge at an early stage. I'm told that in early March, shortly after this indictment was served, you gave instructions to your legal advisors to discuss a potential plea with the Crown.
"The precise terms of that plea were adjusted over a period of 11 weeks, and given the complexity of this case, it is understandable that the Crown and your legal advisors required time for that process to be followed through.
"By pleading guilty at the preliminary hearing, there is a significant benefit to the judicial system by the avoidance of a lengthy and complex criminal trial, which would have lasted many weeks, and I shall accordingly make the appropriate reduction to the headline sentence in accordance with Section 196 of the 1995 Act.
"Turning now to that sentence. If you had been found guilty of this charge after trial, I would have imposed a sentence of seven years imprisonment.
"Having pled guilty at the preliminary hearing, I impose a sentence of five years, three months imprisonment.
"I shall backdate that sentence to May 25, 2026 when you were first remanded in custody.
"That is all."
