Peter Murrell, 61, the former chief executive of the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) and ex-husband of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 (about $540,000) from party funds. He admitted the crime at the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday (May 25), following a years-long investigation into SNP finances and the diversion of donations intended for Scotland's independence campaign.
Murrell served as SNP chief executive from 2001 to 2023. Judge James Young ordered him detained pending a sentencing hearing scheduled for June 23. Judge Young said Murrell had committed a “serious breach of trust” with the embezzlement spanning from August 2010 to October 2022.
Murrell's arrest followed a prolonged probe into the diversion of £600,000 ($810,400) in donations to the SNP, which were intended to support Scotland's independence campaign. Scotland is currently part of the United Kingdom and has a devolved government with authority over areas like health and education, but has so far not backed full independence.
Sturgeon, the former leader of the Scottish government, resigned as SNP leader and First Minister in February 2023. Murrell was arrested that April after police searched the home he shared with Sturgeon near Glasgow as part of the SNP finance investigation. Sturgeon herself was arrested in June 2023, questioned for seven hours, and released without charge.
Current First Minister John Swinney, who was re-elected after the SNP's victory in local elections in May, said he felt “betrayed” by Murrell's actions. “By embezzling from the SNP, Peter Murrell stole the hopes, dreams and aspirations of thousands of people across Scotland,” Swinney said.
Sturgeon, who was cleared in the investigation last year, announced in January 2025 that she and Murrell had separated. In an Instagram post, she said she was “completely horrified” by her ex-husband's confession and “had no knowledge or suspicion”. “Being deceived and let down by the husband I loved and trusted has caused me immense pain,” she added. Sturgeon stepped down as a member of parliament earlier this year, ending a nearly 30-year career as a key figure in the independence movement.
