Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell’s guilty plea over the embezzlement of more than £400,000 from party funds has shocked Scottish politics but the biggest mystery may never be answered.

The former husband of ex-Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon admitted misusing SNP money over a 12-year period, spending it on luxury goods including designer kitchenware, expensive watches, premium coffee machines and multiple Nintendo consoles.

What makes the case even more puzzling is the apparent lack of any obvious motive.

Murrell was long viewed as the quiet strategist behind the SNP’s political machine, while Sturgeon remained the public face of the party. His guilty plea now raises difficult questions about trust, power and secrecy inside one of Britain’s most influential political marriages.

The shopping list revealed in court paints a strange picture from luxury Fortnum & Mason advent calendars to high-end Lalique crystal grinders and luxury household items.

Critics argue the spending suggests a blurred line between personal lifestyle and party finances, while others believe it points to something deeper: status, pressure or even compulsive risk-taking.

With no trial now expected, the public may never fully understand why Murrell risked destroying both his career and the SNP’s reputation.

For many observers, the scandal is also a reminder that even the most high-profile political partnerships can hide private realities no one else sees.