Peter Murrell would not have embezzled more than £400,000 from the SNP if the party's financial management had been better, according to one of the UK's leading criminologists.
Professor David Wilson set out his views following Murrell's conviction for embezzling the huge sum from the SNP while he was chief executive of the party and married to the former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
He also said he does not believe Ms Sturgeon knew anything about Murrell's offences which took place from 2010 to 2022.
Police Scotland launched its investigation called Operation Branchform into the SNP's finances in July 2021 after seven complaints were made around donations to the SNP.
The probe followed allegations that money raised for campaigning towards independence had been diverted elsewhere.
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In the period leading up to the launch of the police inquiry senior people in the SNP including the former MPs Joanna Cherry and Douglas Chapman had begun raising concerns about the party's finances.
However, Ms Sturgeon rejected the concerns being raised and told a meeting of the party's ruling National Executive Committee in March 2021, which she chaired as leader, that the party’s finances had “never been stronger” and urged members to be “very careful” about suggesting there were “any problems” with them.
Professor Wilson, emeritus professor of criminology at Birmingham City University, and a former prison governor, has worked as a criminologist for almost 40 years.
He has given advice on major crimes to police forces across the UK and regularly presented expert opinion in court during high profile criminal trials.
"I felt it was very significant that he started buying small things, laundry baskets and DVDs. It started with small amounts, almost testing it out to see if he could get away with it or if he would be found out," he said.
"If better governance had been in place then Peter Murrell would not have been able to embezzle the amount that he did. He was very good at establishing a defence by ensuring that people who raised questions were removed from a position where they were able to do so.
"My sense is if there had been better governance in the party and if the people who were drawing attention to what they were concerned were financial irregularities had been listened to he would not have been able to have embezzled for as long as he was able to do."
On Ms Sturgeon's apparent lack of willingness to look into concerns being raised about party finances, he said she may have been trying to put off questions from Ms Cherry out of a concern she posed a political threat to her.
"Some people are saying 'she must have known' but to me this doesn't ring true as a criminologist. I have had to deal with many wives who did not know that their husbands were committing crimes including those whose husbands were engaging in child sexual abuse.
"People go 'oh the wife must have known'. But they genuinely didn't know what was going on. My sense is that often the person who is last to know about a crime and who is most shocked is the intimate partner."
He added: "My sense is that why Nicola Sturgeon was saying to people raising concerns is 'don't be absurd' is that she may have been feeling challenged politically."
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Appearing at the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday Murrell, 61, admitted using the SNP’s money to buy items including a motorhome and luxury household goods, and towards the purchase of two cars.
A list of hundreds of other purchases included designer kitchenware, multiple pairs of shoes, expensive pens and a £1,200 space telescope. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on June 23.
Professor Wilson went on to shed light on what may have motivated Murrell to embezzle such a large sum of money over the 12 years.
"What is typical of people who embezzle over a long period of time is that they don't feel they are getting enough credit for what they are doing," he said.
"They don't feel esteemed, praised or thanked that they think they should be given for shouldering all their responsibilities and managing difficult circumstances.
"They don't feel they get the credit they deserve and crave."
He continued: "I don't accept Murrell's actions were about wanting to have a lavish lifestyle. I think the psychological is more important, that he just didn't feel that he got credit for what he was doing and therefore felt entitled to take these sums of money which provided him with things he could have frankly lived without.
"He didn't need a Lalique salt and pepper grinder. He did not need Montblanc pens. He didn't need a motorhome."
Ms Sturgeon has released a number of statements since the conviction of her estranged husband on Monday.
Her lawyer Aamer Anwar, in a statement to Press Association news agency on Wednesday, said Ms Sturgeon reaffirmed her position that she had no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that personal items had been purchased using SNP funds.
"Whether Mr Murrell was buying pepper grinders, pens or Nintendo etc, Ms Sturgeon was unaware of his criminal conduct.
"Had there been any evidence of criminality against Ms Sturgeon, then there can be no doubt that she would have been charged, prosecuted and presently be behind bars" he said.
Ms Sturgeon, said in a statement on Monday via her lawyer: "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."
Speaking to reporters on Thursday the First Minister insisted he is “absolutely satisfied” with the SNP’s current oversight structures despite renewed opposition pressure over the Murrell embezzlement scandal.
Mr Swinney, who appointed Murrell as SNP chief executive in 2001 and has described feeling “betrayed” by his actions, maintained the party’s governance structures are now robust.
Asked by The Herald if he was worried about the current governance of the SNP, Mr Swinney said: “I am absolutely satisfied with the current governance of my party.”
The First Minister said the SNP had already overhauled its internal procedures in response to concerns raised during Operation Branchform and its aftermath.
He said: “The SNP has undertaken a governance review which has been the subject of democratic consideration within the party under my leadership and we now have in place all of the arrangements in relation to the scrutiny of the party’s finances to make sure we give assurance to members of the public who have donated to the party that the use of those resources, and I am very confident in those arrangements.”
An SNP spokeswoman said: "As per the Police Scotland statement, Peter Murrell went to lengths to cover his tracks and his actions are an utter betrayal of the Scottish National Party and the thousands of individuals who believe in the cause of independence.”
