Peter Murrell's legal aid withdrawn after embezzlement conviction

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, who was jailed in June for embezzling more than £400,000 from the party, has had his legal aid withdrawn.

Murrell, the estranged husband of ex-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, was sentenced to five years after using the funds to buy goods ranging from a luxury motorhome to toiletries.

He was granted legal aid - government-funded assistance typically given to people who cannot afford it - last year.

But The Scotsman reported that Murrell was informed his support would be withdrawn on 28 July.

The Scottish Legal Aid Board paid out £4,831 to fund legal counsel for Murrell.

That total could rise, as his lawyers could request payment for work carried out before the legal aid was withdrawn.

Peter Murrell jailed for more than five years for embezzling SNP funds

SNP write-off value of Murrell motorhome in party accounts

Legal aid is typically granted to people who would struggle to pay for legal help themselves, though in some cases they still need to make their own contribution.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Legal Aid Board confirmed that Murrell was "no longer in receipt of legal aid".

They added: "Legal aid and data protection legislation strictly limits what Slab can disclose about individual applications."

During Murrell's sentencing, the court was told that he had more than £600,000 across two pension accounts and would be able to pay back the sum embezzled, totalling £400,310.65.

The Herald reported last month that £4,831 of legal aid had been spent on Murrell's case. It is understood that sum has not changed.

A Scottish Legal Aid Board spokesperson told The Herald: "Legal representatives can send us bills during a case, or up to four months after it ends.

"We have not received any bills from the solicitors in this case yet, so we expect to make further payments."

The Scottish Legal Aid Board has not commented on why Murrell's support has been withdrawn.

Its website lists various reasons why it could drop legal aid - including a client providing false information, failing to disclose relevant information or conducting themselves "in an unreasonable way".

The board can also recover funds from recipients if their legal aid has been terminated.

Police Scotland began investigating the SNP's finances in 2021 after questions were asked about what had happened to £667,000 raised for a second independence referendum campaign.

Officers initially looking into those concerns ultimately uncovered Murrell's crimes.

They found the former chief executive had used charge cards, bank transfers and fake invoices to illicitly purchase items including jewellery, cosmetics, stationery, and games consoles.

Most notably, he bought a £124,500 motorhome in 2020.

Three years later, it was seized from his mother's driveway in Dunfermline with four miles on the clock.

Proceeds of crime action against former SNP chief Murrell delayed