Peter Murrell: Inside the motorhome with just four miles on the clock packed with Molton Brown toiletries
Details of how Murrell bought the motorhome - and how he used it to stash items bought with party funds - have emerged
The motorhome bought by Peter Murrell using embezzled SNP funds had just four miles on the clock when seized by police and was set up for pleasure, not politics, with toiletries and expensive kitchenware purchased by the party’s former chief executive also found stashed in the vehicle.
Murrell ordered the brand new Niesmann and Bischoff Smove 7.4e motorhome on October 14 2020 at a total price of £124,550.
The former party chief executive later suggested to colleagues it could assist with campaigning, but the High Court in Edinburgh heard that it was never used or seen by any other party member or employee.
When seized by police from the drive of his mother’s home in Dunfermline in April 2023, the motorhome had just four miles on the clock.
Three motorhome guides to ‘inspirational’ trips around UK were bought off Amazon the day after the vehicle was bought, but never apparently used.
Pictures released by the Crown Office show around a dozen bottles of Molton Brown toiletries packed on the shelves in the toilet of the motorhome. Also found were items of Le Creuset and Joseph and Joseph kitchenware, which were also bought with embezzled party funds. An Alessi teapot was also discovered.
The narrative read to the High Court in Edinburgh said: “When seized by police officers there were no campaign materials or other SNP paraphernalia within and the motorhome was not branded.
“It was configured exactly as a motorhome used for pleasure would be. The day after he had ordered the motorhome the accused purchased from Amazon 3 guides to inspirational journeys around Scotland, England & Wales and Ireland in a camper van or motorhome.
“Within the motorhome were a number of the items mentioned in the schedules to the indictment, including Le Creuset and Joseph Joseph kitchen implements, an Alessi teapot and various Molton Brown toiletries”.
According to the narrative read to the High Court in Edinburgh, the accused made three payments totalling £12,500 as a deposit with his SNP charge card. The balance of £112,050 was paid by the accused in 4 direct transfers from the SNP account on 7 December 2020.
The motor home was delivered to the accused at the Halbeath Industrial Estate on 22 January 2021 and driven by him to his mother’s home in Dunfermline, where it remained until it was seized by police officers on 5 April 2023.
The narrative set out the steps taken by Murrell to conceal the purchase, with the accused creating a false invoice in the name of the motorhome dealer.
The customer address was given the SNP Headquarters rather than his home address which he had provided to the dealer, and the account name was changed from ‘Murrell’ to ‘SNP – Murrell’.
The narrative added: “In addition, the description of the vehicle concerned was altered to describe a van rather than a motorhome and many details were removed including those of the specification and additional options chosen by the accused which included security, tracking and navigation systems and a television.
“This false invoice was provided to the person responsible for adding items to the accounts”.
When the purchase was later raised by the auditor the motorhome was added to the party’s Fixed Asset Register.
The narrative added that the accused was the registered keeper of the vehicle and was insured for him only to drive for social, domestic and pleasure purposes.
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