Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party, is scheduled to appear at the High Court in Glasgow next month for a preliminary hearing. The 61-year-old, who is the estranged husband of ex-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, was charged in April 2024 as part of Police Scotland's long-running Operation Branchform investigation into the party's finances.
Court Date Set Amidst Ongoing Probe
The preliminary hearing is set for February 20, 2025, at the High Court in Glasgow. This development comes ahead of the Scottish election scheduled for May. Murrell, a key figure who led the SNP for over two decades before resigning in 2023, faces a charge of embezzlement.
He made an initial appearance at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in March last year, where he made no plea or declaration. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has emphasised the case is active under the Contempt of Court Act 1981, noting that the Lord Advocate and Solicitor General were not involved in the decision-making process.
Personal and Political Fallout
The legal proceedings unfold against a backdrop of significant personal and political change. In January 2025, Nicola Sturgeon announced that she and Murrell had 'decided to end' their marriage. Throughout the investigation, Sturgeon consistently denied any wrongdoing and was informed by police in March last year that she was no longer under investigation, stating she believed there was never 'a scrap of evidence' against her.
Furthermore, taxpayers are set to fund Murrell's legal defence after an application for legal aid was approved last year. The Scottish Legal Aid Board confirmed his application met the necessary financial eligibility tests, though no payments have been made to date.
Soaring Costs of Operation Branchform
The financial burden of the investigation continues to grow. Recent data reveals that overtime costs alone for the criminal probe have exceeded £100,000. Overall spending by Police Scotland on Operation Branchform has increased by more than £60,000 in just six months.
The total expenditure on salaries and overtime for the long-running investigation is now nearly £2.3 million. An additional £460,000 has been spent by the Crown Office, bringing the published total to £2.76 million. Officials have indicated this figure may rise further when final calculations are complete, highlighting the significant public cost of the inquiry into the SNP's finances.
