Nicola Sturgeon stated she felt deceived, betrayed and lied to by her estranged husband Peter Murrell after he admitted embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds from the SNP. Speaking publicly for the first time since his guilty plea, the former first minister told listeners in Ireland she was adjusting to the realisation she had been married to someone she did not truly know. She acknowledged public questions about the matter and described the past week as probably the most difficult of her life, adding she might need professional support. Sturgeon, aged 55, said she was not currently okay but emphasised her resilience and belief she would recover. Murrell, 61, was remanded in custody after pleading guilty at Edinburgh High Court to taking £400,310.65 from the party between 2010 and 2022. The funds were spent on items including a motorhome, vehicles, watches and a telescope. Sturgeon has denied any knowledge of the offences and was not charged following a police inquiry. She noted that many would wonder how she remained unaware and explained she had learned details only recently from media reports. She stressed she had been fully cleared after a thorough two-year investigation that included searches of the couple’s home. Although questioned by officers in 2023, she said she cooperated fully and later provided written answers to their questions. Sturgeon described the situation as painful and said she was still processing events while facing public scrutiny. She expressed a wish for people to hear her account directly.
