Nicola Sturgeon’s estranged husband Peter Murrell is behind bars after admitting embezzling more than £400,000 from the SNP while he ran it.
Murrell, who was the nationalists’ chief executive for 22 years, pleaded guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh this morning.
He was accused of embezzling funds totalling £400,310.65 between August 2010 and January 2023, a period which included Ms Sturgeon’s nine-year tenure as SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland.
He arrived at the High Court on Monday wearing a sombre black suit with a black tie, and was remanded in custody after entering his guilty plea.
Details of the charges he faced became public in February, months after he split from his wife.
His guilty plea will send shockwaves through nationalist ranks, and comes just weeks after the SNP retained its grip of power on Holyrood in the Scottish Parliament elections.
Ms Sturgeon was investigated by Police Scotland about the missing funds but the force revealed last year that she would face no further action. She denies any wrongdoing.
Today Scottish Labour Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie said: ‘This bombshell plea does not put the issue to bed – far from it.
‘It is inconceivable that Nicola Sturgeon knew nothing about the large-scale fraud, which she benefited from, taking place under her nose in both her party and her home.
Murrell, who was the nationalists’ chief executive for 22 years, pleaded guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh this morning
He was accused of embezzling the funds between August 2010 and January 2023, a period which included Ms Sturgeon’s tenure and leader and First Minister of Scotland
‘It was Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP party machine that attempted to close ranks and shut down scrutiny when questions about the finances started to emerge and we need to know why.’
