'This has been the worst week of my life' says Nicola Sturgeon after her estranged husband pleads guilty to £400K embezzlement
The former first minister said she is trying to come to terms with the “painful truth” that she “obviously didn’t know at all” the man she was married to
Former Scotland first minister Nicola Sturgeon says she is living through “probably the worst week” of her life after her estranged husband, Peter Murrell, admitted to embezzling more than £400,000 from the SNP.
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Speaking at Listowel Writers’ Week in Co Kerry, Ms Sturgeon said she is trying to come to terms with the “painful truth” that she “obviously didn’t know at all” the man she was married to for years.
Murrell, the SNP’s former chief executive, pleaded guilty in court to embezzling money from the party earlier this week.
Addressing the public for the first time since his guilty plea, Ms Sturgeon said: “This has been probably the worst week of my life.
“You’re coming to terms with the fact that you spent many years married to somebody that, as it turns out, I obviously didn’t know at all.
“It’s a really painful truth to process, and I think I’m only in the very early stages of processing it. And then to be in a position of such public turmoil myself makes that even harder.”
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Ms Sturgeon said she had been “completely exonerated” and “totally cleared” following a “lengthy” and “very forensic” police investigation, but claimed many people were now “pointing the finger of suspicion” at her again.
She said: “Trying to hold me responsible for somebody else’s crimes and having to go through that in a very, very public way... it’s really hard.”
Pleading guilty in Glasgow's High Court on Tuesday, Sturgeon's ex-husband admitted to embezzling £400,310.65 from the political party between 12 August 2010 and 13 January 2023.
The 61-year-old's court appearance follows a preliminary hearing which took place on February 20.
The total sum has fallen to £400,310.65 from an initial figure of £459,000 police confirmed, following a lengthy list of deletions from the original charge.
The former SNP leader also addressed questions over how she could not have known what was happening.
She insisted there was a “big misassumption” that she knew about Murrell’s spending, saying she had read about some of the items for the first time in newspapers this week.
Ms Sturgeon said she did not question some purchases because both she and Murrell were on “high salaries”, adding: “We were two people on high salaries, no kids.”
She said her role often kept her away from home and admitted she would not necessarily have noticed household spending.
Ms Sturgeon said she now believes she was “deceived”, “misled”, “lied to” and “betrayed”.
She told the audience: “I’m not okay, I will be okay. I’m a strong, resilient person.”
Murrell was arrested after he was accused of purchasing a range of items including luxury jewellery, cosmetic items, as well as two cars and a motorhome.
One of Scotland’s most senior police officers insisted Murrell had shown “utter contempt” for the trust placed in him.
Murrell was SNP chief executive for more than 20 years, a role that saw him oversee a historic period of electoral success for the party.
Appearing in court on Tuesday, Murrell's lawyer John Scullion KC read out his client plea of guilty following the amendments to the charges.
The offences are said to have been carried out between 12 August 2010 and 19 October 2022.
Murrell appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in March 2025 where he faced a charge of embezzlement, making no plea.
Among the charges listed on the indictment were allegations that Murrell used party funds to buy a £124,550 motorhome for his own personal use.
It was also alleged he used £57,500 of SNP money towards buying an £81,000 Jaguar I-PACE car in 2019, and £16,489 towards a £33,000 Volkswagen Golf bought in early 2016, according to the reports.
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston had oversight of Operation Branchform, Police Scotland’s investigation into the embezzlement.
Following the guilty plea, ACC Houston 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 enquiries across Europe to unpick Murrell’s offending.
“All of this work, in close partnership with colleagues from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, was carried out under the most intense public scrutiny and it was their commitment to gathering such detailed and compelling evidence that brought us to the High Court today.
“This is without 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.”
Until he stood down in 2023 during the leadership race to succeed Ms Sturgeon, Murrell had been chief executive of the SNP for more than 20 years.
Ms Sturgeon announced that she and Murrell had "decided to end" their marriage in January last year.
The Crown Office said at the time: "Commentary, analysis or conclusions about evidence, witnesses or the accused risks prejudicing proceedings and may amount to contempt of court."
Until he stood down in 2023 during the leadership race to succeed Ms Sturgeon, Murrell had been chief executive of the SNP for more than 20 years.
They had previously been one of the most powerful couples in UK politics for many years, with Ms Sturgeon serving for more than eight years as Scottish first minister and SNP leader, while Mr Murrell was the chief executive of the party.
In January last year, Ms Sturgeon announced she and Murrell had “decided to end” their marriage.
Murrell’s conviction is the result of a police investigation called Operation Branchform, which was first launched in 2021.
The operation investigated the SNP’s funding and finances and involved several high-profile arrests.
The policing cost of the long-running investigation reached more than £2 million.