Ex-Scottish National Party chief jailed for five years

Former Scottish National Party chief Peter Murrell has been jailed for more than five years after admitting embezzling more than Stg400,000 ($760.00) in party funds to buy cars, caravans and luxury goods.

Murrell is the ex-husband of former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, who resigned abruptly in 2023 shortly before she was arrested as part of an investigation into the party’s finances.

He was cleared of the crime in March 2025.

He pleaded guilty in May and was sentenced to five years and three months in prison at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday.

Judge Andrew Young said the sentence should act as a deterrent to others.

The police investigation that led to the arrest of Sturgeon, the SNP’s longest-serving leader, and the conviction of her ex-husband, has raised embarrassing questions for the pro-independence party that has dominated Scottish politics for nearly two decades.

Following Murrell’s plea, Sturgeon reiterated her innocence and said she had “no knowledge or suspicion that he had used SNP funds for personal purposes”.

Murrell admitted embezzling Stg400,310.65 from the SNP between 2010 and 2023, using the money to buy various vehicles as well as items from luxury brands such as Estee Lauder and Harrods.