- Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and former husband of Nicola Sturgeon, has been sentenced to five years and three months in prison for embezzling over £400,000 from the party.
- Murrell pleaded guilty to embezzling a total of £400,310.65 between August 2010 and October 2022, using party funds for hundreds of extravagant personal purchases.
- His purchases included a £124,550 motorhome, various cars, jewellery, luxury homewares and designer stationery, all funded by money intended for the SNP.
- To cover his tracks, Murrell falsified accounting records and created fake invoices, misdescribing certain items such as a £3,070 robotic lawnmower as 'legal fees' and a £3,500 silver wine coaster as 'leadership expenses'.
- The judge described his actions as a 'calculated crime of dishonesty' that escalated over time, leading to intense scrutiny for Nicola Sturgeon, who denied knowledge of his crimes and was subsequently exonerated by police.
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