Nicola Sturgeon’s ex and his £400,000 shopping spree

Fast cars, luxury watches – and, of course, that motorhome: the list of what former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell bought with embezzled funds is dizzying. Severin Carrell reports.

As chief executive of the SNP Peter Murrell was an extraordinarily influential politician. Along with former SNP leader Alex Salmond he helped turn the party into an election-winning machine. And he married the woman who would increase its popularity even further – Nicola Sturgeon . Then came the news he had admitted embezzling money from the party – and using it to buy everything from toilet rolls and instant coffee to a Jaguar.

At the weekend Sturgeon felt compelled to break her silence and give an interview to the BBC, insisting she knew nothing about her now ex-husband’s crimes. The Guardian’s Scotland editor, Severin Carrell , explains how the case is still unfolding, with a court hearing this week and sentencing this month. He tells Annie Kelly what we have learned about Murrell’s behaviour. “It was almost as if you had a teenager funding their entertainment habits and a lavish lifestyle on somebody else’s credit card,” he says.

Yet, despite Sturgeon insisting she knew nothing about the crimes, it has been a blow to her reputation to hear how her home contained so many items seemingly bought with stolen party funds. Can her legacy as a politician known for her straight-talking and leadership skills survive this?