Court hears ex-SNP chief Peter Murrell embezzled £400,310

Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP), embezzled £400,310.65 from the party over a 12-year period, prosecutors told the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday. The court was addressed after Murrell pleaded guilty last week to charges of embezzlement. Sentencing is scheduled for June 23.

Prosecutors said the money was taken from party donations, membership fees and bequests. They said Murrell used the funds for personal spending and sought to conceal the purchases through the party’s accounts and records.

A large share of the total, prosecutors said, was linked to a luxury motorhome costing £124,550. The vehicle has become a focal point of the case because it was kept out of sight of party staff and was not used for party work, prosecutors said.

Motorhome purchase and alleged concealment

Prosecutors said Murrell bought a Niesmann+Bischoff motorhome in January 2021 and drove it about four miles from a dealership in Fife to his mother’s home in Dunfermline. They told the court the motorhome remained there until police seized it in April 2023.

According to prosecutors, Murrell described the vehicle as a van in a falsified invoice. They said the motorhome was stocked with items including Le Creuset kitchenware and Molton Brown toiletries, and that party funds were also used to buy motoring guides for personal travel.

Other transactions cited by prosecutors

Prosecutors said Murrell had complete control over the SNP’s financial records and used that access to hide spending. They said he created false invoices, used incorrect coding in the party’s books and used party charge cards without authorization.

Among the transactions cited in court were a £3,500 silver wine coaster recorded as “leadership expenses,” an £81,000 Jaguar I-Pace SUV listed as a “stage payment,” and a £3,070 robotic lawnmower entered as “legal fees.” Prosecutors also said Murrell’s embezzlement rose sharply from 2016 and peaked at £150,000 in 2020, largely due to the motorhome purchase.

The case continues with sentencing set for June 23, when the court will determine Murrell’s punishment.