Nicola Sturgeon urged to 'come clean on exactly what she knew' about Peter Murrell's £400k splurge

Nicola Sturgeon has been urged to "come clean on exactly what she knew" about her ex-husband Peter Murrell's £400,000 embezzlement spree.

Murrell, the former chief executive of the SNP, admitted to stealing funds from the party to buy a range of luxury items including cars, video games, and a motorhome.

After he pleaded guilty yesterday, questions have now been raised over whether Ms Sturgeon knew about her estranged husband's actions - which happened during their marriage.

Dame Jackie Baillie, the Scottish Labour deputy leader, claimed it was "inconceivable" the former First Minister knew nothing.

Ms Sturgeon maintains she had "no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever" about what Murrell was up to.

Russell Findlay, the Scottish Tory leader, branded Murrell a "thieving magpie" and urged Ms Sturgeon to "come clean about exactly what she knew, and when".

"Nobody in the real world is buying her claims that she didn't know a thing about the criminal actions of the man she shared a house, life and political party with," he added.

Current SNP leader and First Minister John Swinney has apologised to donors who had their money splurged on luxury cookware and pencil sharpeners by Murrell.

At a press conference, he said: "I am sorry to the people who are affected; I’m quite happy to say that."

He told reporters he believed Ms Sturgeon was not aware of her ex-husband's actions.

Ms Sturgeon worked with her ex-husband at the helm of SNP for two decades, with Murrell serving as chief executive from 2001 to 2023.

The former First Minister served first as deputy leader from 2004, before becoming leader and First Minister in 2014 after Scottish separatists failed in their bid for independence.

As party leader, Ms Sturgeon would have been responsible for signing off on her party's accounts.

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In court, Murrell admitted to using his embezzled funds to buy a £124,550 motorhome, which sat outside his mother's house.

He also bought two cars, including a Jaguar, alongside a variety of luxury expenses, as detailed in a 119-page document.

Items the SNP executive bought include £3,000 on a robotic lawnmower, £240 on umbrellas, and £2,618 on salt and pepper grinders.

He also bought two hairdryers, the video game Grand Theft Auto V worth £42.99, a Montblanc money clip worth £225, a book about colonialism, and a manicure set worth £195.80.

In a statement issued by her lawyers, Ms Sturgeon said: "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."