The painstaking work to uncover Peter Murrell's crimes

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: The painstaking work to uncover Peter Murrell's crimes18 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleDavid CowanScotland home affairs correspondentReutersThe police tent was pitched on the front garden of the couple's houseWhen detectives searched Peter Murrell and Nicola Sturgeon's home on the outskirts of Glasgow in April 2023, one image dominated the news coverage. A large blue and white police tent had been pitched on their front garden, blocking views of the front door and leaving the house looking like a crime scene. One former SNP head of communications claimed "a routine process" had been turned into a "grotesque spectacle".

Another senior party figure described the operation as "heavy handed" and "completely over the top". Stung by the criticism, Police Scotland said their actions had been "proportionate and necessary". The most controversial tent in Scottish policing history was set up outside the couple's house because officers wanted to examine, log and seize some of their possessions.

The Details

They suspected they had been purchased with cash embezzled from the SNP, and didn't want their every move filmed and photographed by the media standing outside. PA MediaMurrell is facing a lengthy prison sentenceA source with inside knowledge of the investigation told Scotland News that the evidence against Murrell had become "overwhelming". "This was SNP money, SNP accounts, SNP credit cards, used privately for the benefit of an individual.

"That's why the tent was there, because it was so incredibly excessive. There were multiple items. "The source said the investigation had started after police received an allegation of fraud.

"It took a very long time to get the material that we needed to find out what was going on," they added. "It was only through painstaking, dogged work by detectives and forensic accountants that the embezzlement was revealed. "The people who were the most critical were the ones who should have been the most angry.

What Experts Say

It was their money that was getting taken. "PA MediaThere was a large police presence outside Murrell's home when he was arrestedTwo years on, Murrell has admitted the home he shared with Scotland's former first minister was indeed a crime scene. It was one of more than 20 locations where he abused his position as party boss, spent more than £400,000 of SNP cash and fiddled the books afterwards.

Such a breathtaking breach of trust conducted over more than 12 years means a lengthy prison sentence looks inevitable, even if it is reduced because of his guilty plea. Operation Branchform - the name chosen at random - was the most politically sensitive investigation carried out in Scotland since detectives looked into sexual abuse allegations against the late Alex Salmond. The former SNP leader and first minister was cleared after standing trial in 2020 - and that must have been on the minds of police and prosecutors when they began investigating the party's finances in the summer of 2021.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.