Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP), has pleaded guilty to embezzling £400,310 from the party. The list of luxury items he purchased with the stolen funds spans about 100 pages, resembling a high-end catalog. His acquisitions included luxury cars, watches, fountain pens, coffee machines, and even a robotic lawnmower.
Cars and Vehicles
Murrell bought a Jaguar iPace luxury SUV for £81,000, using £57,500 of SNP money. He later sold it for £47,378 and kept the proceeds. He also purchased a Niesmann+Bischoff motorhome for £124,550, which he parked at his mother's home, and created fake invoices for it. Additionally, he used £16,489 of party funds to partially finance a £32,989 Volkswagen Golf.
Luxury Items and Collectibles
Murrell spent £9,350 on two Bremont watches, £4,225 on a Starwalker World Time fountain pen, £1,407 on two Montblanc Boheme Noir fountain pens, and £700 on a Beatles-themed fountain pen. In November 2020, he purchased two Feasting Advent calendars and a Musical Santa's Sleigh Advent calendar from Fortnum & Mason for £650.75. Earlier that year, he spent £2,618.16 on two Lalique Feuilles pepper and salt grinders, £3,500 on a silver wine coaster, and £2,495 on a jewelry box.
Technology and Gaming
Murrell bought iPads, Kindles, a PlayStation 3 console for £247, four Nintendo 3DS handheld consoles, and games such as FIFA 14 (£63.49) and Grand Theft Auto (£42.99). He also purchased an Xbox One console for £297.14 and a Nintendo Switch.
Home and Garden
He spent £442.20 on Le Creuset coffee mugs, £1,299 on a Miele CM6300 coffee machine, and £3,232 on a Jura Giga 5 Cromo coffee machine. He also bought 2kg of Nescafé Gold Blend instant coffee for £81.16 in 2018. On March 8, 2024, he purchased a Le Creuset wine pourer, champagne opener, and corkscrew for £49.80. For the garden of his Uddingston home, which he shared with Nicola Sturgeon, he bought a Husqvarna robotic lawnmower for £3,070, including installation.
Cultural Items
Murrell used SNP funds to buy DVDs of Scandi-noir crime thrillers, including The Killing: Seasons 1-3 for £60 and Borgen: The Complete Seasons One and Two for £75. He also bought a Sherlock Holmes box set and a Folio Society edition of Hannah Arendt's The Origins of Totalitarianism for £160.
