Proceeds of crime action against former SNP chief Murrell delayed

Disgraced former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell will return to court later this year after his proceeds of crime hearing was delayed.

The 61-year-old is currently serving more than five years in HMP Dumfries for stealing more than £400,000 from the SNP.

Murrell - the estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon - was due to appear at the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday for Crown lawyers to attempt to recover the money he embezzled.

However the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service confirmed a judge had agreed to postpone the hearing until 7 December, after both sides asked for it to be adjourned.

The court heard how Murrell used the cash embezzled from his party to fund an extravagant lifestyle.

His largest purchase was a £124,500 motorhome which he kitted out with luxury extras and top-of-the-range toiletries.

Murrell's lawyer John Scullion KC previously told the court that his client was able to repay the sum stolen from the SNP.

But he said he was aware this could not be repaid until the conclusion of proceedings being brought to the court by prosecutors.

Police Scotland began investigating the SNP's finances in 2021 after questions were asked about what had happened to £667,000 raised for a second independence referendum campaign.

Officers initially looking into those concerns ultimately uncovered Murrell's crimes.

They found Murrell had used charge cards, bank transfers and fake invoices to illicitly purchase items including jewellery, cosmetics, stationery, and games consoles.

The story hit the headlines when police raided SNP headquarters and the home shared by Sturgeon and Murrell in April 2023.

A blue tent was set up outside the couple's home for officers to examine, log and seize some of their possessions, as they suspected they had been purchased with embezzled cash.

Earlier this year, a source with inside knowledge of the investigation told BBC Scotland News that the evidence against Murrell had become "overwhelming".

"This was SNP money, SNP accounts, SNP credit cards, used privately for the benefit of an individual," they said.

Among the purchases were pens from luxury retailer Montblanc with a total cost of £24,342.60.

Murrell spent £5,319 on items from Le Creuset - manufacturers of high-end kitchen products.

He also spent nearly £2,000 on umbrellas and bought two Lalique salt and pepper shakers costing £2,618.16.

In June, Lord Young told him he had no other option but to go to prison for his crimes.

Passing sentence, the judge said: "You carried out a large number of fraudulent acts over a 12-year period while you were chief executive officer of the Scottish National Party.

"Your offending increased in frequency and in amount over time. You found yourself unable to stop this offending and it was only the detection of the crime that brought it to an end.

"All told this is a calculated crime of dishonesty."

Scullion said his client had lived in "isolation" since his guilty plea and his future appeared "bleak and solitary".

"He recognises he is entirely to blame for his predicament," he added.

On Thursday, it emerged that MPs will launch an inquiry into party political funding following the fraud within the SNP.

The Scottish Affairs Committee said it would investigate the Electoral Commission's oversight of party cash.

The committee announced it would separately investigate the dual role of the Lord Advocate, after concerns were raised during the police investigation into Murrell.