Inside Murrell's motorhome - driven for only four miles

Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in 2016 <i>(Image: PA)</i>
Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in 2016 (Image: PA)
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Some of the details that came out have raised questions about what Peter Murrell's future plans were.

Was he for instance planning to take his then wife and the then SNP leader and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on a holiday in the motorhome?

The motorhome only had done four miles but touring maps were bought for Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales, the court heard.

Items such as toiletries and kitchenware were discovered in it by the police when they found the vehicle.

Ms Sturgeon told the BBC on Sunday she had never seen the motorhome.

The luxury 24 foot long vehicle was left parked by Murrell outside his mother's home on her drive in Dunfermline.

But Ms Sturgeon said she did not see it when she visited her mother-in-law.

The court heard the £124,550 motorhome, bought by Murrell using party funds in October 2020, was found to have only done four miles.

Handout photo issued by Crown Office of the motorhome purchased by Peter Murrell that was shown during a hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday. (Image: Crown Office/PA Wire)

Murrell ordered the new Niesmann and Bischoff Smove 7.4e motorhome on 14 October 2020. He made three payments totalling £12,500 as a deposit with his SNP charge card.

Mr Cameron told the hearing the balance of £112,050 was paid by Murrell in four direct transfers from the SNP account on 7 December 2020.

"The motor home was delivered to the accused at the Halbeath Industrial Estate on 22 January 2021 and driven by him to his mother’s home in Dunfermline where it remained until it was seized by police officers on 5 April 2023," he said.

"When seized the odometer showed that the vehicle had only ever been driven for 4 miles."


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He continued: "The accused created a false invoice in the name of the motorhome dealer. Again, the customer address listed was the SNP Headquarters rather than his home address which he had actually provided to the dealer, and the account name was changed from ‘Murrell’ to ‘SNP – Murrell’. "

Mr Cameron add that the description of the vehicle was altered to describe a van rather than a motorhome.

Handout photo issued by Crown Office of inside the motorhome purchased by Peter Murrell (Image: Crown Office/PA Wire)

He went on: "When the purchase was later raised by the auditor the motorhome was added to the party’s Fixed Asset Register but it was never used or seen by any other party member or employee.

"The accused was the registered keeper of the vehicle which was insured for him only to drive for social, domestic and pleasure purposes. After its purchase the accused suggested to other party employees that the motorhome could have been used for campaigning purposes but it was not.

"When seized by police officers there were no campaign materials or other SNP paraphernalia within and the motorhome was not branded. It was configured exactly as a motorhome used for pleasure would be.

"The day after he had ordered the motorhome the accused purchased from Amazon 3 guides to inspirational journeys around Scotland, England & Wales and Ireland in a camper van or motorhome.

"Within the motorhome were a number of the items mentioned in the schedules to the indictment, including Le Creuset and Joseph Joseph kitchen implements, an Alessi teapot and various Molton Brown toiletries."

Ms Sturgeon was married to Murrell in July 2010.

In January last year she announced the couple were to divorce.

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