GTA 5, gaming consoles and more: Here’s how much former Scottish politician spent on gaming with embezzled $500,000

Former Scottish politician Peter Murrell, who recently pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 (around $500,000) from the Scottish National Party, spent some of the money on gaming. According to a BBC report, court documents published following the case show that part of the misused funds were spent on gaming consoles, video games and accessories over a period spanning more than a decade. Murrell admitted to embezzling £400,310.65 between August 2010 and October 2022. The court records detail purchases ranging from luxury vehicles and watches to gaming hardware, including Nintendo 3DS consoles, a PlayStation 3, and games such as Grand Theft Auto V, FIFA titles, Battlefield, The Sims and Pac-Man.The former SNP chief executive, who led the party for more than 20 years, has been remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on June 23. Among the gaming-related purchases listed in court documents were three Nintendo 3DS handheld consoles at £350 each, a PlayStation 3 at £247, and multiple video games. Reports also indicate Murrell purchased four Nintendo 3DS systems within five days in 2011, spending more than $500.The records show Murrell used party funds on a wide range of personal purchases. The largest single transaction was a £124,550 motorhome bought in 2020, which prosecutors alleged was disguised as a legitimate party expense using false documents. Other purchases included a Jaguar I-PACE worth £57,500, two luxury watches costing £9,350, a £4,225 fountain pen, coffee machines, jewellery and household items.Gaming expenses appeared alongside purchases of sports titles, including FIFA 12 to FIFA 15, simulation games such as The Sims 3 Pets, and open-world titles, including GTA 5. Murrell pleaded guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh, where Judge Lord Young described his actions as a “gross breach of trust.”Current SNP leader and First Minister John Swinney said he was “horrified” by Murrell’s conduct, calling it an “overwhelming betrayal.”“By embezzling from the SNP, Peter Murrell was stealing the hopes, the dreams and the aspirations of thousands of people all over Scotland,” Swinney said.Murrell’s estranged wife and former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she had “no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that he was using SNP funds for personal purposes.”“I am utterly appalled that he did so and cannot begin to understand why,” Sturgeon added.Sturgeon also addressed questions regarding expensive purchases uncovered during the investigation, saying: “In relation to many of the items in question, for example, expensive watches and games consoles, I was not aware of them having been purchased at all.”Murrell stepped down as SNP chief executive in 2023 and was later arrested as part of Operation Branchform, an investigation launched into the handling of approximately £660,000 in party donations. Police confirmed last year that Sturgeon and former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie were no longer under investigation.