Former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has broken her silence after her estranged husband Peter Murrell pleaded guilty to embezzling £400,310 from the Scottish National Party.
Nicola Sturgeon has firmly denied any knowledge of her estranged husband’s wrongdoing after he pleaded guilty to embezzling £400,310 from the SNP.
Peter Murrell, a former long-serving chief executive of the party, admitted the charges when he appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday morning.
He was charged with embezzling the funds from the Scottish National Party between August 2010 and October 2022. Murrell admitted an amended indictment which reduced the amount of the embezzled money down from more than £459,000.
In a statement, Sturgeon said: “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, this for me has also been a profound personal trauma. I need to focussed on recovering from that and building a new phase with my life.”