Peter Murrell sentenced to FIVE YEARS

The Peter Murrell scandal has rocked the SNP and shocked the public given the sheer scale and, indeed, strangeness of the fraud he committed. The former SNP chief executive, the estranged husband of former SNP leader and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, has been sentenced to five years and three months after having admitted his guilt of a £400,000 embezzlement last month.

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14:57

JK Rowling has had her say on old enemy Nicola Sturgeon...

12:27

John Swinney says he won't visit Murrell in prison

First Minister John Swinney speaks to the media at The Culdee in Monifieth, after celebrating with newly elected SNP MP Lara Bird and party activists following her win in the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry by-election. The by-election was triggered following Stephen Gethins being elected to the Scottish Parliament. Picture date: Friday June 19, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

SNP leader and first minister, John Swinney has said he will not visit Peter Murrell in prison.

Speaking to journalists at Holyrood, Mr Swinney described the long-running saga as 'agony'.

Rfeerring to his Christian faith - he said he is 'forgiving' but refused to say if he had or would forgive Mr Murrell – whom he has known for decades.

He said: 'Nothing would have given me the sense that this was a likely course of action to take, a likely circumstance to face.

'You would never have got me speculating that this is something I should have been concerned about.'

He added: 'I was not a serving office bearer in the Scottish National Party from 2004 to 2024, so I had no operational right to look at these things.

'But is it distressing? Is it hurtful? Is it agony? Yes, all of those things.

'But part of what I view as my responsibility as leader of the Scottish National Party today is to make sure that the SNP operates with clear and effective governance that protects the interests of the party and that uppermost in my thinking at at all times.'

12:12

Court sketch of Murrell issued

Court artist drawing by Elizabeth Cook of former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell (centre) appearing at Edinburgh High Court where he was jailed for five years and three months after he admitted embezzling more than £400,000 from the party. Picture date: Tuesday June 23, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire

Court artist drawing by Elizabeth Cook of former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell (left) appearing before Lord Young (right) at Edinburgh High Court where he was jailed for five years and three months after he admitted embezzling more than £400,000 from the party. Picture date: Tuesday June 23, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire

Court sketches of Peter Murrell's appearance at the High Court in Edinburgh for sentencing have been published. The drawings by artist Elizabeth Cook capture the moment Murrell learned his fate.

11:55

SNP's soft-touch justice set to strike again?

Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay said Peter Murrell 'could be out in just over two years due to weak SNP sentencing guidelines'.

Murrell was sentenced to five years and three months in prison, and as such could be released after serving half of his sentence if the Parole Board for Scotland rules in his favour.

'Peter Murrell has been brought to justice for his crimes, although he could be out in just over two years due to weak SNP sentencing policies,' Mr Findlay said.

'But the question remains: how did he get away with this brazen and large-scale crime spree for so many years? The hard truth for Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney is that they effectively enabled Murrell. By assuring SNP members that the finances were sound, and issuing warnings to those raising valid concerns, they allowed Murrell to think that he was untouchable.

'It was only when Police Scotland were alerted to the missing independence referendum funds that they discovered Murrell’s thefts.

'It’s no wonder that Swinney is so desperate to thwart an inquiry which would examine many issues, including whether public money was stolen.'

10:48

Labour join Tories and Lib-Dems in demanding an inquiry

Peter Murrell immediately after hearing sentence from Lord Young.Must credit BBC

Commenting after Peter Murrell was sentenced to five years and three months for embezzling more than £400,000 from the SNP, Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: 'It is right that Peter Murrell is punished for his crimes, which saw him spend hundreds of thousands of pounds to fund a lavish lifestyle using money donated in good faith by members of the public.

'However, there are still serious questions which remain unanswered about this appalling scandal, such as why Murrell was able to get away with stealing vast sums of money for over a decade and why no-one within the SNP had any curiosity about the state of the party's finances.

John Swinney and the SNP have shamelessly tried to sweep this under the carpet by stubbornly refusing to accept that a parliamentary inquiry could help get to the bottom of these issues.

'If they have nothing to hide, they have nothing to fear from an inquiry. Trust in public life and Scottish politics has been badly damaged by the actions of Murrell, and it should be in the interests of the SNP to work cross-party to help restore it.

'Instead, Swinney's deflection and evasion has only confirmed that the SNP is still a party which fosters a culture of secrecy and cover-up, one which seeks to shut down whistleblowers instead of listening to them.'

10:37

From campervan to prison van: Peter Murrell departs Edinburgh High Court

10:33

'John Swinney's refusal to sanction an inquiry into whether public money was stolen looks nakedly self-serving,' says Cole-Hamilton

Responding to the news that Peter Murrell has been sentenced to five years and three months in prison for embezzlement, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: ‘This is hugely embarrassing for the SNP top brass who missed what was going on under their noses and then sought to downplay it after it was exposed.

‘Peter Murrell was at the centre of the SNP for decades. He was close to everyone at the top of this SNP Government. He was undoubtedly one of the most powerful men in the country. He has still not explained why he did what he did.

I am surprised that not one SNP parliamentarian is interested in finding out exactly how deep Murrell's crimes went.

‘John Swinney's refusal to sanction an inquiry into whether public money was stolen looks nakedly self-serving. With the SNP and their Green allies blocking such a probe at Holyrood, the UK Parliament's Scottish Affairs committee should step in.’

10:23

'A parliamentary inquiry is needed. Now.'

10:21

Ironically, Amazon has launched its Prime Day today...

During police questioning, one of the detectives puts to Peter Murrell that ‘Amazon were the perfect foil for you because they’re a retailer you can hide transactions behind’.

‘They sell everything so you can describe it as anything – and they deliver quickly.

‘But easy to hide, easy to miscode [in SNP accounts], easy to buy things and call them something else, if you buy them on Amazon.

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‘And you spread the Amazon transactions across three cards.

If all of your Amazon purchases were on your own card, it would just be Amazon, Amazon, Amazon, non-stop.

Peter Murrell scandal: Videos show police grilling former party chiefBrazen Peter Murrell refused to comment as detectives grilled him about his embezzlement - and what he would say to party members who were victims of his theft.09:58

Police Scotland statement on 'further investigations'...

'Work remains to be undertaken in regards to the Proceeds of Crime Act relating to this case by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. Police Scotland, and in particular the Cyber and Fraud Unit, will assist in this process and in any further investigations which may be required.'

09:54

Police Scotland have also released a statement...

Key Updates

09:28So, why was the court hearing pushed back until after the Scottish election?
09:23More pictures have been released of Murrell's shopping list...
09:13Videos of police grilling Murrell have been released...
08:52Peter Murrell has been sentenced to FIVE years
08:44Peter Murrell has 'sufficient funds under his control to repay the sum embezzled'
08:41Peter Murrell ‘overwhelmed by embarrassment and shame’, says lawyer
08:34The sentencing WILL be televised...
08:14Peter Murrell has arrived...
07:38So, how did we get here? A timeline of the downfall of Peter Murrell...