That's all from our live coverage after former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell admitted embezzling funds from the party over more than a decade.

Here are the headlines from a remarkable day.

• Murrell admitted embezzling a total of £400,310.65 between 12 August 2010 and 19 October 2022
• The estranged husband of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon pleaded guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh

• The court published 125 pages of documents detailing the items he bought with party funds
• These included a luxury motorhome costing £124,550, a Volkswagen Golf and a Jaguar I-PACE car
• Other purchases ranged from luxury watches and a fountain pen which cost £4,225, through to hand creams costing £2.50 each
• First Minister John Swinney described the crime as a "terrible breach of trust and an overwhelming betrayal”
• Sturgeon said she was "angry, hurt, sad and very distressed" about Murrell's actions
• The former first minister insisted she knew nothing about many of Murrell's purchases - including the motorhome
• Police said Murrell “abused his privileged position” to bankroll a lavish lifestyle he could not afford

Nicola Sturgeon has just released a further statement saying she wants to reiterate that she had "no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that personal items had been purchased using SNP funds".

The former first minister was investigated as part of Operation Branchform - which led to the arrest of her estranged husband Peter Murrell - but no action was taken against her.

Sturgeon says she was not even aware that Murrell had bought many of the expensive items on the list.

Image source, PA Media

Here's more from her statement...

"In respect of any items I was aware of Peter having purchased, I had no reason to doubt that he had used his own money. We were both earning high salaries and, due to the responsibilities of my job, rarely socialised or went on holidays. We had separate bank accounts and I had no access to his financial records.”

A day of contrasts as Murrell admits astonishing breach of trustpublished at 16:56 BST

16:56 BST

James Cook
Scotland editor

This has been a day of contrasts in Edinburgh.

Outside the high court, the Royal Mile was thronged with tourists enjoying the blazing sunshine.

Inside courtroom number three, Peter Murrell, a man who spent years at the heart of devolved power in Scotland, sat in silence, staring straight ahead.

He did not speak - his guilty plea was entered by his lawyer - but he looked grim as judge Lord Young told him he was guilty of a gross breach of trust.

To the small army of journalists on the press benches, the scale and nature of that breach is astonishing.

I spoke to Murrell briefly this morning as he hid from the cameras in the vestibule of the court building, but he said no more than "morning" before quickly lowering his head.

Image source, PA Media

Watching him being taken from the dock in handcuffs to what is likely to be a lengthy prison sentence was quite a moment for the reporters in court.

Many of us have known Murrell in a professional capacity for years. I always found him droll, courteous and co-operative, and not in the least flashy.

Many of his colleagues had the same impression and are stunned by the scale of his deceit.

That doesn't mean there aren't difficult questions for the current SNP leader, First Minister John Swinney, to answer.

He faced some of them at a news conference near the bottom of the Royal Mile, insisting he and the party had been betrayed and Murrell alone was "exclusively responsible for his behaviour".

That will not satisfy those who allege failures in SNP governance, accusing the party of ignoring red flags and shutting down critics who raised concerns.

A jail term looks inevitable - but how long could it be?published at 16:46 BST

16:46 BST

David Henderson
Scotland news correspondent

A hefty custodial sentence is almost certain for Peter Murrell.

Scotland’s courts consistently identify the same aggravating factors in embezzlement cases.

These include the amount involved, how long the offending went on for, whether it only stopped because it was discovered, the nature and degree of the trust betrayed, whether the accused held a public office or professional position, the impact on the victim, whether the money is recoverable, and whether a deterrent sentence is called for.

In this case, Peter Murrell was chief executive of a political party, embezzling more than £400,000 over more than a decade, involving falsified records to disguise personal spending - so most of those aggravating factors are at a high level.

Former SNP MP Natalie McGarry was jailed for two years after being convicted of embezzling £25,000 from Women for Independence and the Glasgow Regional Association.

If that case is the benchmark - with around a month in jail for every £1,000 embezzled - then Murrell could be behind bars for a very long time.

But other cases point to less jail time.

Beverley Bennie was jailed for 20 months after admitting embezzling £96,371 from a children's charity and a vending firm. That was with a guilty plea.

Emma Hunt, an office manager at an Edinburgh property firm, embezzled over £900,000 and spent it on a lavish lifestyle. She was jailed for three years after a trial.

So these cases may offer more of a guide to Lord Young when Murrell is back in court.

Much will depend on whether the judge thinks an exemplary sentence is required.

Here's more from the police chief who led the investigation into SNP funds which resulted in Peter Murrell's arrest.

Speaking to journalists, Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston said the Operation Branchform probe had cost Police Scotland “in excess of £2m”.

He said the longevity of the probe was down to the “complex nature” of the investigation and “financial crimes” committed.

Houston said others were interviewed as part of the probe, but no-one else and had been charged and, as far as the force was concerned, it was now closed.

He added: “What others may or may not have known is a question for them.”

Opposition parties pose questions for people inside the SNPpublished at 16:13 BST

16:13 BST

David Wallace Lockhart
Political correspondent

We've had a fair bit of political reaction to the Murrell story, and a number of parties are keen to pose questions for figures still involved with the SNP.

Scottish Labour say that the "party machine" and Nicola Sturgeon tried to avoid scrutiny regarding finances.

And the Conservatives have accused the former first minister of having "shot down" concerns about the state of the SNP's books.

The seem to be making reference to a leaked 2021 video where Nicola Sturgeon stressed the party's finances were secure and said that senior party members should be "careful" about suggesting otherwise.

Nicola Sturgeon was investigated as part of Operation Branchform, and no action was taken against her. She’s stressed today that she had no knowledge of Peter Murrell’s crimes.

Shortly after that 2021 video was recorded, two members of the SNP's ruling body - treasurer Douglas Chapman and Joanna Cherry - resigned citing concerns about transparency.

Joanna Cherry has now called for an independent inquiry and has accused some in the party of thwarting scrutiny.

Internally, the fallout of this saga isn't likely to be over for the SNP.

Courts can try to recover 'tainted gifts'published at 15:54 BST

15:54 BST

David Henderson
Scotland news correspondent

If Peter Murrell had given some of the items that he embezzled to his wife, Nicola Sturgeon, action may be possible to recover them - if there's evidence she still has them.

The law is deliberately designed to reach this situation, regardless of whether she knew the items were purchased with embezzled funds.

Proceeds of crimes laws apply in Scotland, and make provision for property in the hands of others to be treated as a "tainted gift" where it can be linked to criminal conduct.

The innocence of the recipient is no defence.

Sturgeon has said today she had no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that Murrell was using SNP funds for personal purposes.

When police raided their family home in April 2023, they may have recovered all the items that were embezzled by Murrell.

The list also reveals interesting patterns with bulk buys of similar items in November and December such as gaming consoles and video games titles such as Grand Theft Auto and FIFA. Were these gifts being bought in the run-up to Christmas?

Can the embezzled funds be recovered?published at 15:39 BST

15:39 BST

David Henderson
Scotland news correspondent

Peter Murrell is set to face legal action to recover the money he embezzled.

He's due back in court in the coming weeks - at which point prosecutors are likely to serve notice on him through proceeds of crime legislation.

The judge would then make a confiscation order, requiring payment to the state.

The law doesn't allow the Crown to confiscate property or assets directly - it's an order for payment.

Image source, PA Media

Normally the courts grant six months to pay.

Failure to pay can result in a jail term - but even that doesn't cancel out the debt.

The amount actually recovered in cases like this often falls well short of the amount embezzled - especially if the money has been spent on consumables, holidays, and luxury goods that depreciate.

When that happens, there can be relatively little left to confiscate.

The resale value of the motorhome bought by Murrell could be a fraction of the original outlay.

Lynsey Bews
BBC Scotland political correspondent

The list of items bought by Murrell also includes DVDs of the first few seasons of the Danish political drama, Borgen, purchased back in 2012 and 2013.

Nicola Sturgeon was known to be a fan of the show, which featured a female prime minister, Brigitte Nyborg, running a coalition government.

In 2015, Sturgeon - at that point just a few months into her tenure as first minister - told the media she "may have re-watched Borgen once or twice".

She also suggested the show’s leading actress, Sidse Babett Knudsen, could play her in a film of her life.

Sturgeon said today that she had had no knowledge or suspicion that Murrell was using SNP funds for personal purposes.

Court documents reveal which retailers were used by Murrell as he misappropriated SNP funds.

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has admitted embezzling funds from the party over more than a decade.

If you’re just joining us, here are some of the key developments in the case today:

• Murrell admitted embezzling a total of £400,310.65 between 12 August 2010 and 19 October 2022
• The estranged husband of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon pleaded guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh

• The court published 125 pages of documents detailing the items he bought with party funds
• These included a luxury motorhome costing £124,550, a Volkswagen Golf and a Jaguar I-PACE car
• Other purchases ranged from luxury watches and a fountain pen which cost £4,225, through to hand creams costing £2.50 each
• First Minister John Swinney described the crime as a "terrible breach of trust and an overwhelming betrayal”
• Sturgeon said she was "angry, hurt, sad and very distressed" about Murrell's actions
• Police said Murrell “abused his privileged position” to bankroll a lavish lifestyle he could not afford

Murrell’s clothing purchases included £75.55 on a men’s “slouch pouch onesie”.

He also bought about a dozen Gant shirts, a £100 pair of Timberland loafers, and about £400 worth of jackets from outdoor brand Berghaus.

Helly Hansen was another favourite, with Murrell buying a number of items including a £700 Sulphur Expedition Parka.

A further £912 was spent on a Tumi McAllen wheeled briefcase.

And the list goes on...

Murrell used SNP finances to buy a number of high-end coffee machines and luxury coffee beans.

The schedule of items includes a Miele CM 6300 machine on 24 November 2014, which cost £1,299.

Then on 1 February 2017 he used £1,865.75 of party money to buy a Jura bean-to-coffee machine.

And on 10 October 2018 he invested in a Jura Z8 fully automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine, which cost £2,595.

The schedule shows Murrell bought Portuguese coffee beans on a number of occasions.

In May 2017 he spent £84.95 on five packs of gourmet beans and £123.91 on five packs of roasted beans.

Murrell also bought traditional instant coffee with SNP cash.

This included 2kg of Nescafe Gold Blend in May 2018 for £81.16.

Lynsey Bews
BBC Scotland political correspondent

While the first minister was speaking, we've been continuing to work our way through the list of items bought by Murrell.

They include high-end purchases, such as:

• a Miele coffee machine, which was bought for £1,299 in November 2014
• a Le Crueset wok with lid, purchased for £170 in 2018
• several Mont Blanc fountain pens
• a pencil sharpener from the brand Caran d'Ache, at £110.

The wide variety of purchases also includes washing up bowls, toilet seats and even chopsticks.

Referring to the now infamous motorhome purchased by Murrell, the first minister says: "I’ve got no idea why a campervan was purchased."

He said during the election campaign the party hired a bus for two weeks, which was covered in party material and then returned to the company which owns it, "that made sense to me".

"What we could’ve needed a campervan for is beyond me," he adds.

And with that, the first minister winds up the press conference.

"I am gutted by this today," Swinney says.

The first minister, who appears visibly shaken, says the level of "personal horror and betrayal" is difficult to convey.

Swinney adds he has not been able to stop thinking about the "decent people" who raised funds for the party through coffee mornings and jumble sales.

The SNP leader says many paid their party fees as they believed in independence, even though they didn't "have much money to rub together".

Image source, PA Media

Swinney is asked repeatedly by journalists if he will apologise to party members.

When asked why he wouldn't answer, he says: "I am sorry to people who are affected, I’m quite happy to say that.

"But my point is the person responsible for this is Peter Murrell, it's not my conduct that got to this - it's Peter Murrell’s.

"If it helps, I'll say sorry to everyone involved," he adds

The former SNP MP Joanna Cherry is among those attending John Swinney’s press conference.

Outside the venue in Edinburgh, Cherry said she herself had lost money donated to the party.

The lawyer is no longer a party member but said there were questions for “many people within the SNP to answer” following Murrell’s guilty plea.

BBC Scotland's political editor Glenn Campbell asks Swinney if the party “suppressed legitimate questions” about the crimes and if members will get their money back.

Swinney says: “Party members have made donations to the SNP, we don’t have that money, it has been stolen from us.

“What I will say is that I can confidently says to members is money they donate to us is used to fund the aims and the objectives of the SNP and it always will be.”

Swinney says he understands how donors will be feeling as he is one of them.

He says the issue has been “thoroughly investigated” by police.