The painstaking work to uncover Peter Murrell's crimes

In April 2023, detectives searched the home of Peter Murrell and former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon near Glasgow, an event that captured widespread media attention. A striking blue and white police tent was erected over the front garden, obscuring the view of their front door and creating the atmosphere of a high-profile crime scene. This image became a defining representation of the ongoing investigation.

The presence of the tent sparked criticism from some within the Scottish National Party (SNP). A former head of communications for the party described the process as having been turned from a straightforward procedure into a “grotesque spectacle,” while another senior member labeled the police operation “heavy handed” and “completely over the top.” In response, Police Scotland defended their actions, stating that the measures taken were “proportionate and necessary.” The purpose of the tent was to allow officers to securely examine, document, and seize items thought to have been purchased using funds allegedly embezzled from the SNP. They also aimed to shield the activities from media scrutiny.

An insider familiar with the investigation shared with BBC Scotland News that the evidence against Murrell had become “overwhelming.” The source explained, “This was SNP money, SNP accounts, SNP credit cards, used privately for the benefit of an individual,” underscoring the severity of the financial misconduct. The tent’s installation was necessitated by the sheer volume and significance of items involved, which the source called “scandalous.” The investigation originated from a fraud allegation, and progress was initially slow because collecting the necessary material proved difficult. The breakthrough came through meticulous detective work combined with forensic accountancy, which uncovered the embezzlement. According to the source, those who voiced the most criticism should have been the most outraged since the theft involved their own money.

Two years on from the investigation’s inception, Murrell has accepted that the property he shared with Nicola Sturgeon was indeed effectively a crime scene. Evidence reveals he misappropriated over £400,000 of party funds across more than 20 locations during his tenure as SNP chief, altering records to cover his illicit spending. This profound breach of trust, carried out over more than a decade, makes a significant prison sentence likely, despite his guilty plea potentially reducing the term. The probe, known as Operation Branchform, was among Scotland’s most politically sensitive, comparable only to the high-profile sexual abuse investigations involving the late Alex Salmond, who was ultimately acquitted in 2020. From the outset, the inquiry was under intense scrutiny.

Launched in mid-2021 after public concerns about the whereabouts of £670,000 raised for a campaign for a second Scottish independence referendum, the investigation uncovered that Murrell had used funds donated by SNP supporters to personally purchase nearly £140,000 of goods from over 90 different retailers. On the day of his arrest in April 2023, police seized a luxury motorhome worth £124,550 from outside Murrell’s mother’s house in Dunfermline. Manufactured by Niesmann and Bischoff, the model—called the Smove 7.4e—is advertised as “breaking all the rules.” Detectives found that Murrell bought the vehicle using party money and falsified SNP accounts to hide the transaction

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