Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell pleads guilty to embezzling £400k from the party

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has admitted embezzling £400,310.65 from the party.

Murrell, the estranged husband of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, pleaded guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday.

He used the funds to purchase items including luxury goods and a motorhome, and towards the purchase of two cars.

A top police officer said Murrell diverted the cash from the SNP to "bankroll the lavish lifestyle he craved but could not afford".

Judge Lord Young told the once political party kingpin: "Your actions involve a gross breach of trust."

The 61-year-old was handcuffed in the dock and remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing on 23 June.

He originally faced an embezzlement charge amounting to £459,046.49, but pleaded guilty to an amended indictment.

A full narrative of the facts will be heard in court when the case calls again on 2 June.

Murrell was first arrested in April 2023 as part of Operation Branchform - a Police Scotland probe into the funding and finances of the SNP - and was charged with embezzlement one year later.

Murrell's offences were carried out between August 2010 and October 2022.

Murrell, who had been SNP chief executive for more than 20 years, resigned in March 2023 amid a row over party membership numbers.

Ms Sturgeon and ex-party treasurer MSP Colin Beattie were also arrested as part of Operation Branchform, but both were later cleared of any wrongdoing by Police Scotland.

Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston, who had oversight of Operation Branchform, said: "This was a lengthy and extremely complex case due to the scale of criminality over a 12-year period and the lengths Peter Murrell went to try and cover his tracks.

"I commend the professionalism and absolute dedication of the Operation Branchform team who spent more than four years carrying out extensive enquiries across Europe to unpick Murrell's offending."

ACC Houston said the investigative work, in close partnership with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), was carried out "under the most intense public scrutiny".

He added: "This is without doubt one of the most high-profile investigations in recent times and it is testimony to the work of Police Scotland officers and staff that has led to Peter Murrell's admission of guilt early in the court process.

"I would also like to thank the many witnesses who came forward to provide us with statements as we built the case against Peter Murrell. Their engagement with us was vital.

"Peter Murrell has shown utter contempt for the high public trust placed in him as the chief executive of a political party and his position in the wider political establishment in Scotland for many years.

"He abused his privileged position with access to Scottish National Party funds to divert cash into his own accounts and bankroll the lavish lifestyle he craved but could not afford.

"From 2010 to 2022 he spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on luxury goods while carefully trying to hide his criminality with false receipts and accounting.

"He must now face the consequences of his actions."

In January 2025, Ms Sturgeon announced she had split from Murrell.

The pair, who first met via the SNP in 1988 and became a couple in 2003, married in 2010.

Ms Sturgeon announced the separation in a post on Instagram, revealing they had been "separated for some time now" but "still care deeply for each other, and always will".

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

(c) Sky News 2026: Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell pleads guilty to embezzling £400k from the party