Shame and ridicule – but no motive: Five things we learned as Peter Murrell is jailed

Murrell’s lawyer, John Scullion KC, said his client had been in a position of trust as SNP chief executive.

He acknowledged that the 61-year-old had “behaved dishonestly and went to considerable lengths to conceal his crimes and avoid detection”.

The court previously heard that the source of the money Murrell embezzled was the party’s main bank account, over which he had control.

He was able to make direct transfers of money from that account and also used charge cards linked to it to pay for items.

Murrell then used misleading accounting codes to record income and expenditure.

For example, he bought two Bremont watches in 2017 with £9,350.25 of SNP funds – but both transactions were recorded on the accounting software as “event merchandise”.

Scullion said his client recognised “not only the harm caused to those directly affected by his actions, but also the broader societal impact of his dishonesty”.

He added: “It is apparent from the report, in my submission, that he accepts full responsibility for his actions and does not seek to minimise his culpability in any way.”