Peter Murrell to return to court as Crown lawyers try to recover embezzeled funds

Disgraced SNP supremo Peter Murrell is set to return to the High Court later this year as prosecutors bring a proceeds of crime action against him.

The party’s former chief executive will be brought from prison as Crown lawyers try to recover the assets he seized illegally from the party.

Murrell, 61, is currently serving five years for stealing more than £400,000 from SNP funds. He used cash embezzled from the nationalists to fund an extravagant, no-expense-spared lifestyle.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how he used the cash to buy a £124,500 motorhome which he kitted out with luxury extras and top of the range toiletries.

He was set to be brought from his cell in HMP Dumfries to Edinburgh this Monday as the proceeds of crime action against him was set to call on that date for the first time.

But a high court judge sitting in chambers late on Thursday night agreed to put the hearing off after both crown and defence lawyers asked for the hearing to be adjourned. A court official confirmed the new development on Friday morning.

The judge, who wasn’t identified, agreed to postpone proceedings and assigned a new date. The case will now call at the High Court in Edinburgh later this year.

At proceedings earlier this year, the court heard how Murrell purchased a brand new Niesmann and Bischoff Smove 7.4e motorhome to use for his own personal benefit.

The court heard how he created a fake invoice for the party’s accounting procedures in a bid to avoid detection.

This invoice created by 61-year-old Murrell – the estranged husband of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon – removed the details of the luxury extras added to the vehicle.

Detectives investigating him found evidence showing that he had insured the vehicle only in his name.

Judge Lord Young heard how how Murrell’s insurance policy only covered the vehicle to be driven for “social, domestic and pleasure purposes.”

And the judge heard how Murrell treated himself to luxurious items.

These included pens from luxury retailer Montblanc with a total cost of £24,342.60 and items from Smythson, “a retailer of luxury stationery, leather goods, diaries and fashion products”, worth £24,495.50

He purchased tech items from Dyson worth £6085.86.

Murrell splashed £5,319 on items Le Creuset – the manufacturers of top of the range kitchen products.

Murrell also splashed out a total of £8,991.65 on top-of-the-range coffee machines – two were Jura machines purchased at a cost of £3,231.90 and £1,865.75 respectively and were found by police at the accused’s home.

The court heard how he also purchased cup warmers with a total cost of £1782.99 and spent £749.94 from Joseph Joseph.

He spared no expense, spending £1,056 of SNP money on Reed diffusers and candles from Jo Malone.

He spent almost £2,000 on umbrellas and bought two Lalique salt and pepper shakers costing £2,618.16.

Lord Young told him he had no other option but to go to prison for his crimes.

Passing sentence, Lord Young said: “You carried out a large number of fraudulent acts over a 12-year period while you were chief executive officer of the Scottish National Party.”

“Your offending increased in frequency and in amount over time.

“You found yourself unable to stop this offending and it was only the detection of the crime that brought it to an end.

“All told this is a calculated crime of dishonesty.”

At earlier proceedings, prosecutor Alan Cameron KC told Lord Young that about how police found evidence which showed how he was using party money to fund his lifestyle.

Mr Cameron said: “There was a robotic lawnmower, including installation, for his home address costing £3,070.

“This item was misdescribed in the accounting software as spending on legal fees and was found at his home when it was searched by police.

“There was also a hand chased silver wine coaster from Hamilton & Inches jewellers costing £3,500.

“This item was misdescribed as spending on ‘leadership expenses’ with the description ‘Hamilton & Inches sterling silver presentation quaiches’.

Mr Scullion aid his client has lived in “isolation” since his guilty plea.

He told the court: “Since his arrest he has gradually withdrawn from social contact and for many months prior to the plea he lived in almost total isolation, at time to the detriment of his health.

“He recognise he is entirely to blame for predicament.

“At present he does not consider himself worthy of sympathy – a custodial sentence is entirely deserved.

“He has been ostracised by his friends and former colleagues.

“The nature of many of his purchases has made him a figure of public ridicule.

“His humiliation will endure. His future appears bleak and solitary.”

Mr Scullion told the court that his client is able to repay the sum stolen to SNP coffers. The lawyer said he is aware that this cannot be repaid until the conclusion of proceedings being brought to the court by prosecutors.

On Thursday, it emerged that MPs have launched an inquiry into party political funding following fraud within the SNP.

The Scottish Affairs Committee said it will investigate the Electoral Commission’s oversight of party cash.

The committee announced it would separately investigate the dual role of the Lord Advocate, after concerns were also raised during the police investigation of former chief executive Peter Murrell.

The Westminster group said it would probe how the Electoral Commission, the political finance watchdog, oversees the funding and governance of political parties in Scotland, and the safeguards around the distribution of short money – the type of public funding Westminster gives opposition parties.

Murrell will now be brought to court to face the proceeds of crime action on December 7, 2026.