Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and estranged husband of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, will not appeal his five-year jail sentence for embezzlement. Murrell was sentenced in June to five years and three months in prison after admitting to siphoning more than £400,000 from the party over a 12-year period.
Murrell falsified accounting records and created fake invoices in an attempt to conceal his actions. The deadline for filing an appeal was Tuesday, and his solicitor, Matthew McGovern, confirmed Murrell's decision not to appeal the sentence handed down by Lord Young at the High Court in Edinburgh on June 23.
During the sentencing, Lord Young described Murrell's actions as a "calculated crime of dishonesty" that impacted the SNP and its donors. The judge noted that the offending increased in frequency and amount over time, stating, "You found yourself unable to stop... and it was only the detection of the crime that brought it to an end."
Between August 2010 and October 2022, Murrell used the embezzled funds for numerous personal purchases, including a motorhome costing £124,550, cars, jewelry, luxury homewares, and designer stationery. The discovery of his extensive spending on high-end items, such as Le Creuset cookware, initially puzzled investigators examining the SNP's charge card statements, especially given the party's reported financial difficulties.
A review of the SNP's accounting system revealed no record of these purchases, raising alarms that led to the broader investigation. Prosecutor Alan Cameron KC detailed Murrell's spending during the court case, noting that the 24-foot motorhome had only four miles on the odometer when seized by police. Murrell also spent nearly £43,000 on Amazon purchases, many delivered to his shared home with Sturgeon, with items like a £3,500 silver wine coaster listed as 'leadership expenses'. The motorhome was reportedly described as a 'van' on the invoice.
Murrell exploited his position to make direct cash transfers from the SNP's main bank account, which comprised membership fees, donations, and legacies. He also utilized multiple party charge cards and submitted false expense claims, attempting to disguise his purchases with misleading descriptions and accounting codes within the party's finance system, which he had direct access to.
Complaints about potential mismanagement of SNP finances in March 2021 initiated the police investigation that uncovered Murrell's crimes. Murrell's defense counsel, John Scullion KC, stated that his client had lived in "almost total isolation" since his guilty plea, had accepted blame, and was ostracized by former colleagues, becoming a "figure of public ridicule" who recognized the harm caused and was overwhelmed by embarrassment and shame.
The case has also led to scrutiny for Nicola Sturgeon, who has denied knowledge of his crimes, asserting she was "deceived, misled and betrayed." Sturgeon stated she was "completely exonerated" by the police investigation, which included searches of the home she shared with Murrell.
Meanwhile, the SNP has opposed calls for a Holyrood committee inquiry into the fallout from Murrell's case, despite an indication from Westminster's Scottish Affairs Committee of readiness for potential joint working on the issue.