From Jaguar to luxury kitchen accessories: Peter Murrell’s spending list using SNP funds revealed

The spending spree included £1,299 on a premium Miele coffee machine, £608.98 on Eco Shape garden edging – used to tidy up where flower beds and lawns meet – and £469.95 on a Karcher K7 Pressure Washer.

He also spent £445 on a fancy, WiFi-enabled “smart” Google Nest Protect smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector which sends notifications to a phone if either are detected. Normal carbon monoxide alarms can be bought for as little as £12 online. He later bought two Google Nest “smart” thermostats in January 2020 at a cost of £196.98 each.

And he splashed more than £2,600 on two salt and pepper shakers.

The shamed former senior Nat also spent £388.40 on five Sonos smart speakers in 2016, before buying more five years later in 2021 for another £304.98.

Much of the cash was spent on DIY and gardening equipment, as well as new light fittings and storage for cupboards and kitchens.

Court documents show Murrell spent around £1,600 on various storage boxes, clothes rails, soap baskets, and kitchen organizers across his decade of offending – with one spree setting the SNP back £304.51.

Around £1,820 was also spent on ceiling lights, four Bristan Capri taps, a spirit level and carry case set, and several Worx multi-function worktables and sawhorses.

A further £500 was spent on various DIY and gardening tools including a step ladder, a Leatherman men’s Raptor multitool, and a Merriway “jointing connector”.

In 2017, he spent £148.95 on a Bosch Verti cutter lawn raker and an Einhell Power cordless lawn scarifier, alongside a collection bag for a total of £157.31.

He also bought a Greenkey lawn roller for £53.83 and several Wolf Garten gardening tools at a further £110.91. All items were bought with SNP funds on Amazon on either April 15 or 16 of that year.

And in 2020 – as his wife addressed the nation daily on TV during the Covid-19 pandemic, he bought a Chepstow TV stand for £229.94.

Further details of the case will be heard next Tuesday, June 2, before he is sentenced later that month.

Mr Murrell was charged in 2024 as part of a long-running police probe into the party’s finances, named Operation Branchform.

Police Scotland spent more than two years looking into what happened to £660,000 of donations given to the SNP by independence activists.

The major operation saw police raids carried out on Mr Murrell and Ms Sturgeon’s home in Uddingston and the SNP HQ in Edinburgh in 2023.

Ms Sturgeon and former party treasurer Colin Beattie were both arrested amid the probe but were both released without charge and later cleared of any wrongdoing.

Murrell previously made no plea when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in March last year and was granted bail.

Ms Sturgeon announced in January last year that she and Murrell had “decided to end” their marriage.

And today the former First Minister broke her silence after Mr Murrell’s plea.

On her Instagram story, she posted: “My reaction to the guilty plea tendered today by my former husband is difficult to put into words. I am angry, hurt, sad, and very distressed about the impact of his actions on family, friends, and the SNP.

“To be deceived and let down by a husband I loved and trusted has caused me acute pain. Why he acted as he did is, and always will be, beyond my comprehension.

“To be clear: I had no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that he was using SNP funds for personal purposes. I am utterly appalled that he did so and cannot begin to understand why.

“That I was fully cleared after a thorough investigation underlines that these are not my crimes. I was misled just as others were.”

She added: “I know that there will be political discussion in light of what has happened, and I understand why. However, for me, this has also been a profound personal trauma.

“I need to remain focused on recovering from that and building a new phase of life. I will be making no further comment.”

Later, in a statement released via lawyer Aamer Anwar, Ms Sturgeon added: “Today the media is reporting details of items that my former husband has now admitted buying with SNP funds. I have seen questions raised about how I could not have known about this.

“I want to reiterate that I had no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that personal items had been purchased using SNP funds. I was cleared of any wrongdoing after a lengthy and thorough investigation.

“In relation to many of the items in question, for example, expensive watches and games consoles, I was not aware of them having been purchased at all.

“Indeed, in relation to the item of largest value – a campervan – I was not aware of its existence until it featured in the police investigation in early 2023, nor was it parked in our driveway as has been claimed by some.

“In respect of any items I was aware of Peter having purchased, I had no reason to doubt that he had used his own money. We were both earning high salaries and, due to the responsibilities of my job, rarely socialized or went on holidays.

“We had separate bank accounts and I had no access to his financial records.”

Following his conviction from Operation Branchform, Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston of Police Scotland said: “This was a lengthy and extremely complex case due to the scale of criminality over a 12-year period and the lengths Peter Murrell went to try and cover his tracks.

“I commend the professionalism and absolute dedication of the Operation Branchform team who spent more than four years carrying out extensive inquiries across Europe to unpick Murrell’s offending.

“This is without a doubt one of the most high-profile investigations in recent times and it is testimony to the work of Police Scotland officers and staff that has led to Peter Murrell’s admission of guilt early in the court process.

“I would also like to thank the many witnesses who came forward to provide us with statements as we built the case against Peter Murrell. Their engagement with us was vital.

“Peter Murrell has shown utter contempt for the high public trust placed in him as the Chief Executive of a political party and his position in the wider political establishment in Scotland for many years.

“He abused his privileged position with access to Scottish National Party funds to divert cash into his own accounts and bankroll the lavish lifestyle he craved but could not afford.

“From 2010 to 2022 he spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on luxury goods while carefully trying to hide his criminality with false receipts and accounting.

“He must now face the consequences of his actions.”

Scottish Tory boss Russell Findlay slammed Murrell after he was locked up, saying: “Peter Murrell has finally taken the rap for being a thieving magpie – but he used vast sums of the stolen cash to feather the marital nest he shared with Nicola Sturgeon.

“His crime spree took place right under her nose over many years while they jointly held a vice-like grip on the SNP.”

Responding to the guilty plea, Scottish Labour Deputy Leader, Jackie Baillie, said: “After years of investigations, millions of pounds of public money, and one conveniently timed election, Peter Murrell has finally had to own up to his crimes.

“This bombshell plea does not put the issue to bed – far from it.

“It is inconceivable that Nicola Sturgeon knew nothing about the large-scale fraud, taking place under her nose in both her party and her home.

“It was Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP party machine that attempted to close ranks and shut down scrutiny when questions about the finances started to emerge, and we need to know why.

“John Swinney needs to come clean and explain what he knew and what the party knew.

“There should be a review into why the hearing was delayed until after the election and why the public were denied the truth until the timing was more convenient for the SNP.

“The rotten culture of sleaze, scandal, and secrecy in the SNP needs to end – it’s time for the truth.”