murrell sentencing - enter your guesses....

[LaliqueSaltGrinder]

So how long do we all think he'll get? Not a legal expert. Natalie McGarry was sentenced to 2 years, reduced to 20 months on appeal, for embezzling £25k. 20 months for this woman https://www.scotland.police.uk/what-s-happening/news/2026/february/woman-jailed-for-embezzlement-in-dunoon/ in Dunoon who stole £40k. But this guy https://www.scottishfinancialnews.com/articles/aberdeen-accountant-embezzled-ps95000-from-oil-firm-to-fund-gambling-addiction in Aberdeen stole £96k and was given a community service order. In terms of value, the nearest I could see was this case https://www.scottishfinancialnews.com/articles/woman-jailed-for-construction-firm-embezzlement-worth-more-than-ps500000-ordered-to-repay-over-ps80000 whivch was £500k, sentenced to 38 months.

So I am opening the bidding at 40 months.

It’s true if he lived outside of Scotland, I’d assumed he’d stay here!

Seems like punishment enough!!

joke! I LOVE Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 ❤️

I very much doubt he will get a non custodial sentence given he has been remanded in custody.

2 years

It's to act as a deterrent. If you can run a charity or trusted organisation, steal half a million from it and then get a few hours litterpicking as a punishment, it would erode public trust and incentivise fraud and theft. That's why the Age UK guy got 7 years.

Although I personally agree with Danny Finkelstein's comment:
Murrell spent £3,500 on a wine coaster and even this was a better use of money than spending it on promoting Scottish independence.

Exile to a cave, with a spider.

I do agree that stealing from a charity, or other organisation which people have contributed towards is seen as more serious than theft against a corporation. As it should be.

Stealing from shareholders is just as bad - that's people's pensions and savings. In the US, Enron employees got up to 20 years for fraudulent accounting.

Absolutely - Robert Maxwell anyone?

Look at the mess Scottish education is in just now. A huge factor in this is the lack of any form of deterrent for any bad behaviour. Deterrents are vital.

Sorry to inform all the armchair judges that there’s no such thing as a suspended sentence in Scotland. He could get a community disposal, but if he gets a custodial sentence, he’ll serve it immediately.

I wonder how much he will have to pay back? Obviously the camper van has been recovered and will be sold at a loss. I don't know what other items they have recovered and can sell.

Is it possible he will have to sell the marital home to pay back some money?

My ex BIL went to Castle Huntley in Dundee after he had spent some time in prison for drug dealing.

He went to work on the energy network putting up pylons, and he was eventually allowed some weekend leave during which he stayed with his parents and was able to see his son.

I know that it sounds like the soft option but he was rehabilitated at the end of it. He has been out of prison for 15 years or so and got a normal job an has stayed out of trouble ever since.

When will the sentence be announced?

Week today - Tuesday 23rd - he will be back in court to offer any mitigation/explanation and be sentenced.

I read he had 630k in a Legal and General pension fund which had been frozen, I assume that this would be used to pay everything back plus costs.
It also said he had 80k in a joint account with NS which was frozen, but it was unlikely that would be used in repayment as well, because the assets seized in his sole name were sufficient.

Thanks.

I predict that he will be admonished as spending £400K on Camper Van, toilet rolls, coffee machines, fountain pens, salt and pepper shakers etc does far more good for society than spending it on promoting Scexit.

It’s the utter cynicism that gets me - collecting money for Indy and spending it on…Dysons…

I would urge people to read the Joanna Cherry autobiography. She has a lot to say about SNP leadership and how things were run..

5 years 3 months

5 years 3 months reduced from 7 years due to his plea.

I said between 5 and 7 years so thinking of putting on some lotto numbers.

I wonder who the lucky second owners of the campervan will be? Imagine having that name pop up on the ‘change of ownership’ document. All the optional extras, plus an handy invisibility cloak.

5+ years. Not surprising, but too harsh in my book when you consider sentences for other far worse crimes. Just my opinion.

Not long enough in my book.