Sturgeon tells BBC: I'm serving a sentence for crime I didn't commit

Scotland's former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon declared she feels like she is "serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit," following her estranged husband's admission of embezzling £400,000 from the Scottish National Party (SNP). In an exclusive interview, Sturgeon refused to apologize for the scandal, expressing that she is not responsible for her former husband Peter Murrell's actions.

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I am not responsible for the crimes that my former husband committed and I'm not going to apologise for somebody else's crimes.

Sturgeon, who led the SNP from 2014 to 2023, denied any knowledge of Murrell's crimes, which occurred between 2010 and 2022. Police investigated the matter, but she was not charged. Despite sharing responsibility for monitoring the party's accounts during her tenure as leader, Sturgeon asserted her innocence regarding Murrell's offenses.

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For my own sake, but for the sake of people out there, a lot of women who end up finding themselves blamed for the actions of the men in their lives, I'm not going to contribute to that kind of sense that I am responsible for somebody else's crimes.

"For my own sake, but for the sake of people out there, a lot of women who end up finding themselves blamed for the actions of the men in their lives, I'm not going to contribute to that kind of sense that I am responsible for somebody else's crimes," Sturgeon told the BBC. She emphasized her willingness to take responsibility for her own decisions but not for the crimes committed by another person.

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I will take responsibility for the things I do, the decisions I make. I'm sitting here with you right now, answering questions because I believe strongly in that accountability.

Sturgeon became emotional when discussing a necklace gifted to her by Murrell, which was purchased with embezzled funds. She recounted visiting a jewelry business in Shetland with her husband and later receiving the pendant as a gift. Murrell, the SNP's former chief executive, used party funds to buy various items, including luxury goods, jewelry, cosmetics, two cars, and a motorhome.

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No... [Murrell] perpetrated a crime on the SNP. By definition, that included me as the party leader. He misled. He deceived.