Sturgeon says she has cut off contact with jailed husband Peter Murrell
Former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon says she will not visit or speak to her estranged husband Peter Murrell in prison, after he lied to her until the day he pleaded guilty to embezzling SNP funds.
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's former first minister, has said she has not spoken to her estranged husband Peter Murrell since he was jailed in June and does not intend to visit him in prison.
Speaking during a podcast recording with broadcaster Iain Dale at the Edinburgh festival fringe, Sturgeon said Murrell was sentenced to five years for embezzling more than £400,000 from the Scottish National Party, where he had served as chief executive.
Learning the truth late
Sturgeon said she only found out Murrell intended to plead guilty a week before his court appearance, later discovering he had actually been negotiating the plea for months beforehand. She described the revelation as devastating, saying he had kept lying to her right up until the day he admitted guilt.
She recalled having been worried about his wellbeing and mental health at the time, noting he had become isolated and rarely left the house. Looking back, she said she now feels foolish for having been concerned about him, given that he showed no similar concern for her or for the consequences of his actions.
Asked whether she would visit Murrell in prison, Sturgeon said no, adding that she does not intend to speak to him either.
The former first minister said she continued to learn new details about Murrell's spending even during his court proceedings, and said she came to realise she had been living with someone she never truly knew. She described the situation as a difficult process to come to terms with, both for herself and her family.
Murrell, 61, used the embezzled funds on a range of purchases, including a motorhome, a Jaguar SUV, a Volkswagen Golf, cosmetics, iPads and an expensive set of salt and pepper grinders. His offending took place over more than a decade, between 2010 and 2022.
Sturgeon, 55, has consistently denied any knowledge of her husband's crimes and was not charged following a police investigation. She has previously acknowledged it was a mistake to keep Murrell in his role as SNP chief executive after she became party leader in 2014, but has declined to apologise for his actions.
