HM Advocate v Murrell
| HM Advocate v Murrell | |
|---|---|
| Court | High Court of Justiciary |
| Full case name | His Majesty's Advocate v Peter Murrell |
His Majesty's Advocate v Peter Murrell is a criminal court case involving Peter Murrell, former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP), and estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon. Murrell is accused of embezzling £459 000 from the SNP, to pay for expensive vehicles and other luxury goods for himself. Details of the charges were widely reported in the media on 13 February 2026 and will be confirmed when Murrell appears at Edinburgh High Court of Justiciary on 25 May.
Background
Peter Murrell served as chief executive officer of the SNP from 2001 to 2023. In 2010, he married Nicola Sturgeon, then the party's depute leader, who served as SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland from 2014 to 2023.
From July 2021 until March 2025, the SNP was subject to a Police Scotland investigation codenamed Operation Branchform, after allegations were made that £666,953 raised by the SNP since 2017 specifically to campaign in a proposed second Scottish independence referendum was in part improperly spent on other activities. In the course of the investigation, Murrell and Sturgeon's home and SNP headquarters were searched, and Murrell, Sturgeon, and the SNP's treasurer Colin Beattie were arrested and questioned by police.[1][2][3][4]
In March 2025, Police Scotland concluded their investigations into Sturgeon and Beattie, with no charges being filed against them. Murrell was charged with embezzlement and appeared in court for the first time on 20 March 2025.[5]
Details of charges
In February 2026, it was reported that Murrell faces eight charges of embezzling a total of £460,000 from August 2010 to June 2023, including using party funds to buy a £124,550 campervan and other vehicles for his personal use, as well as buying luxury goods, cosmetics and jewellery.[6][7] On 13 February 2026, the date of the hearing was postponed until 25 May 2026, after the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.[8]
References
- ^ Gordon, Tom (13 July 2021). "Police launch 'fraud' probe into SNP fundraising". The Herald.
- ^ Leask, David (11 May 2025). "How SNP campervan scandal damaged trust in Scottish institutions". The Times.
- ^ "Ex-SNP chief executive in court as Nicola Sturgeon probe dropped". Evening Standard. 20 March 2025.
- ^ McCall, Chris (7 November 2025). "Nicola Sturgeon admits many Scots 'struggle' to believe her resignation was not linked to Operation Branchform". Daily Record.
- ^ Cochrane, Angus (20 March 2025). "Sturgeon will not face further investigation over SNP finances". BBC News.
- ^ Cook, James; Sim, Phil (13 February 2026). "Peter Murrell accused of embezzling £459,000 over 12-year period". BBC. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ^ Sanderson, Daniel (13 February 2026). "Peter Murrell accused of embezzling £460,000 in eight court charges". The Times. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ^ McKay, Gabriel (13 February 2026). "Peter Murrell court date postponed until after election". The Herald.