Nicola Sturgeon has broken her silence after her estranged husband and Ex-SNP chief executive Peter Murrell pleaded guilty in court to embezzling £400,310.65 from the political party.
The former First Minister said that she was "angry, hurt, sad and very distressed" and doubled down on her stance that she "had no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that he was using SNP funds for personal purposes".
Murrell has been remanded in custody at the High Court in Edinburgh after pleading guilty.
He admitted the charges when he appeared in court on Monday morning.
The former chief executive was charged with embezzling the funds from the Scottish National Party between August 2010 and October 2022.
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The statement, posted on her Instagram account, reads: "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.
"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."
As details of Murrell's specific spending emerged, Ms Sturgeon released a second statement clarifying she had "no knowledge or suspicion".
She said: “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 socialised or went on holidays. We had separate bank accounts and I had no access to his financial records.”
We reported earlier that the police chief overseeing the investigation released a scathing statement after Murrell pleaded guilty in court today.
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston said in his takedown that Murrell has "shown utter contempt" for the public and that he used the fraudulent funds to "bankroll the lavish lifestyle he craved but could not afford".
Murrell, 61, has admitted using the SNP’s money to buy items including a motorhome and luxury goods, and towards the purchase of two cars.
The former party boss was first arrested in April 2023 as part of the police investigation into the SNP’s finances, and was charged in April 2024.
He appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in March 2025 where he faced a charge of embezzlement, making no plea.
The indictment included allegations that in 2020 Murrell used party funds to buy a £124,550 motorhome for his own personal use.
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.
Sentencing is due to take place on June 23.
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