Former SNP chief executive, Peter Murrell, has been taken into custody at the High Court in Edinburgh after admitting to embezzling £400,310.65 from the political party. Murrell, who is the estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon, confessed to the charges during his appearance at the court on Monday.

The 61-year-old was accused of misappropriating funds from the SNP between August 2010 and October 2022. He showed up at the High Court dressed in a black suit and tie, with sentencing scheduled for June 23.

Murrell confessed to using the SNP’s money for personal purchases, including a motorhome, luxury items, and two cars. Initially arrested in April 2023 during a police inquiry into the party’s finances, he was formally charged in April 2024.

In March 2025, Murrell faced a charge of embezzlement at Edinburgh Sheriff Court but did not enter a plea. The indictment alleged that he had used party funds in 2020 to buy a motorhome worth £124,550 for personal use.

Having served as the SNP’s chief executive for over two decades until stepping down in 2023 during the leadership transition following Ms. Sturgeon, Murrell and Sturgeon were a prominent political couple in the UK. However, in January of the previous year, Sturgeon announced the end of their marriage.

Murrell’s conviction stems from Operation Branchform, a police investigation initiated in 2021 to probe the SNP’s financial activities. The operation, involving multiple high-profile arrests, incurred policing costs exceeding £2 million.

Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston remarked on the complexity of the case, highlighting Murrell’s extensive efforts to conceal his activities over a 12-year period. He criticized Murrell for abusing his position of trust within the political establishment by diverting party funds for personal use, leading a lavish lifestyle while attempting to mask his illicit actions with false documentation.

Murrell now faces the repercussions of his misconduct.