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Ex-Scottish National Party chief jailed for five years

By AAP Newswire

Jun 23, 2026

Peter Murrell arrives in a prison van at Edinburgh High Court — Peter Murrell admitted embezzling money between 2010 and 2023 and used it to buy luxury goods. -AP

Former Scottish National Party chief Peter Murrell has been jailed for more than five years after admitting embezzling ‌more than Stg400,000 ($A760,00) of party funds to buy items such ‌as cars, a motorhome and luxury goods.

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

She was cleared of wrongdoing in March 2025.

He had pleaded guilty in May to the offence and on Tuesday was jailed for five years and three months at Edinburgh High Court.

The judge, Andrew Young, said the ⁠sentence needed to serve as ‌a deterrent to others.

The police investigation which led to the arrest of Sturgeon, ‌the SNP's longest-serving leader, along with the conviction of her former husband prompted embarrassing questions for the pro-independence party which has dominated Scottish politics for nearly two decades.

After Murrell's plea, Sturgeon reiterated her innocence and said that she ‌had "no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that he was using SNP funds for personal purposes".

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