Former SNP executive Peter Murrell admitted embezzling £400k

The former chief executive of the Scottish National Party, Peter Murrell, has admitted to embezzling more than £400,000 from party funds over a 12-year period to finance a lavish lifestyle, a court has heard. Murrell, 61, pleaded guilty last week to embezzling £400,310.65 from the SNP between August 2010 and October 2022.

During a sentencing hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh, prosecutors detailed how Murrell used his control over the party's principal bank account to make unauthorized purchases. Advocate depute Alan Cameron KC told the court the funds were sourced from membership fees and donations. Murrell falsified accounting records and created fake invoices to conceal his actions, officials said.

The court heard Murrell used party charge cards, including those issued to other staff members without their knowledge, and made direct transfers to pay for personal items. These included luxury vehicles, watches, household goods, and a £124,550 motorhome. Prosecutors said the motorhome, purchased in October 2020, was delivered to an industrial estate before being driven to his mother's home in Dunfermline. When police seized it in April 2023 as part of Operation Branchform,...