Sturgeon refuses prison visit for Murrell

Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, speaking at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, stated she will not visit her estranged husband Peter Murrell in prison and has not spoken to him since his incarceration. Murrell was jailed for over five years in June after pleading guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the United Kingdom — Scottish National Party while serving as its chief executive. Sturgeon expressed feeling like a 'mug' for having worried about his wellbeing, and revealed she learned only a week before his court appearance that he would plead guilty, despite his having negotiated the plea for months. She described the discovery as hitting her 'like a tonne of bricks' and said he was 'still lying to me right up until the day he pled guilty.' Sturgeon also noted she continues to learn details of his purchases made with party funds, including a motorhome, a Jaguar SUV, and luxury items. She has consistently denied knowledge of his crimes and was not charged after a police investigation.